Lament of Retribution
by Idiemus
Summary: For a man who has faced almost everything his world can throw at him, his most challenging foe may just be himself. Especially when avenging 'angels' enter the fray. VinxTif, post DoC timeline.
1. Birth

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy content and related characters, etc.. involved in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Square-Enix. I didn't create them and I take no ownership of them whatsoever.

SPOILER WARNING: This story contains references to various pieces of the entire Final Fantasy VII Compilation. This includes the original game, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and some very minor references to Crisis Core. If you don't wish to be mercilessly spoiled, don't read the story.

A/N: First fanfic ever, blah blah, I'm sure you've all heard this spiel before. The story was completed before I ever posted it. Feel free to review if you want to but it was mostly written for the amusement of myself and my friends. Honestly, I like the way it turned out and I hope others will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you don't like it ... well, you don't have to read it. Constructive criticism is, of course, always welcome. I have a few more stories in the works that I may decide to post if this one goes over well among my fellow screaming fans.

A few things of note: There is an OC in here that I put a lot of hard work into. No, it isn't a representation of myself or some over-powered villian -- at least I hope it isn't, so please try not to hate it too much. :P This is also post Dirge of Cerberus, as I came to the FFVII scene rather late in the game, so to speak. I prefer to stick with where Squeenix decided to let the story end up, even though I know there are those who very much dislike it. I also tend to prefer the DoC version of Chaos, for those who might be wondering. If any of this turns you off, then you have my most sincere apologies.

One more thing.. this is rated M for strong language and adult situations. You've been warned.

--

**Chapter 1 – Birth****  
**

A cold wind whipped the air around the ruined scraps of metal that used to be the entrance to the mako reactor on Mount Nibel. A strip of blue fabric clung stubbornly to a twisted rod, fighting the wind's desire to rip it from its precarious hold. If anyone had been standing there on the rusting steps they might have sworn they could hear voices on the wind.

No, not voices ... moans. The wailing cries of hundreds of restless souls that had died one violent evening at the edge of a madman's blade, bodies purged from the earth by fire.

No one came to this place anymore because of the memories it carried on that cold wind. Memories still fresh after four years of stillness. That forlorn song of eternal pain and loss could destroy any normal person's sanity and devour his soul. Any normal person would never stray anywhere near this place. That was just as well, for one abnormal soul found sanctuary here, lulled in its deep sleep by the cries of the dead. The chill in the air was more than just the altitude or temperature - it was the chill of death and it wrapped the sleeper's body in icy bliss where it rested in the darkness of its capsule; not unlike a coffin.

That soul longed only for sleep. It desired an eternity of darkness. It had grown for several years in its cold and clinical womb, comforted by that familiar darkness. But it sensed that something dreadful was eminent. It felt that change was upon it and that its time had come to serve its purpose.

The inside of the mako reactor was without power. The windows of its stasis pods were empty, every window except one. A sound somewhat like the cracking of a steel eggshell snapped loudly in the dark, triggered by some hidden timer that must have been running on backup power. The seam along the edge of the pod's door hissed as pressurized air escaped from inside and the door swung slowly open on screaming hinges. Then everything fell silent once again.

For a long time nothing moved in the darkness of the pod. The sleeper fought the urges that had been programmed into its mind to react to this event. It knew it ultimately had no choice but part of it still wanted to stay in that cold womb forever. Eventually, artificial instinct won over and the sleeper's body stirred to test newly mature muscles. Everything it needed to know about what it was and what its purpose would be had been written into its brain by its creator, its father.

Hojo.

Its time had come to awaken, to fulfill its destiny. In the depths of the pod the sleeper became fully aware and the first light in four years destroyed that sweet darkness with a low red glow. It was the red glow of crimson eyes.

**--**

_Red light flooded Vincent's vision, blinding him._

_He brought his left hand up reflexively to shield his eyes but the metal of his gauntlet only served to reflect the light that seemed to be coming from everywhere at once._

_Pain wracked his body as though a thousand needles had been plunged simultaneously into his skin._

_Somewhere in the distance he heard hysterical laughter that he thought he recognized. It felt important that he should try to remember who it was coming from but that light drove into his brain and shattered his concentration. Even through his eyelids it felt like the molten tips of flaming pokers. He couldn't think._

_A cold wind whipped up and bit at his flesh even through his leather outfit, tearing at the frayed ends of his blood red cloak._

_It felt like he'd stood there for an eternity and that the pain would never end but suddenly it was gone along with that vicious wind and his vision burned with the afterimage of two crimson eyes. He felt tears streaming over his cheeks and the sensation was entirely alien to someone who never cried; someone who had no more tears._

_Darkness settled around him like a soothing blanket. The pain and the light were gone and he was content, but something nagged at his brain. Something told him to look down at his chest._

_He had felt no pain but he could see blood slowly oozing from a hole just to the left of his heart about the size of a fist. Suddenly it hit him. It wasn't pain he felt but emptiness, as though something he desperately needed was missing. Something he would never get back._

_In the distance he heard the laughter again and he knew this time whose laughter it was. Rage filled him as it always had but this time, nothing answered back. The power that once slept inside of him was gone._

_He threw his head back and screamed fury into the darkness around him but it was only a human scream and some part of him regretted that._


	2. Breaking the Silence

**Chapter 2 – Breaking the Silence**

Vincent threw himself up with a jerk, abruptly awake as the scream echoed in his head. His breath was ragged and he could feel cold sweat beading on his brow. He brought his right hand to his chest and pressed it against the leather to feel the skin whole beneath it. Something about that nightmare had felt wrong. It felt far too real and it wasn't fading from his memory like most nightmares did upon waking. The rage still burned and he realized that not bothering to take his gauntlet off the previous evening had been a mistake as he'd torn five holes through the covers of the bed and deep into the mattress.

Cursing mentally, he swung off the bed and headed for the bathroom of his hotel room. He needed a shower to clear his head. Undressing with his usual outfit wasn't an easy task with the way the leather hugged his lean frame, not to mention the number of buckles he had to undo. That was why he usually never bothered to take anything more off before sleeping than his coat, bandana, and the various metal parts he wore on his feet and left arm. Sometimes he didn't bother to remove the holster for his gun, Cerberus, although he always kept the firearm somewhere within easy reach.

It didn't matter how he slept most of the time because he rarely slept for long and it wasn't as though he had anyone else's discomfort to worry about in bed.

Naked, he stepped under the stream of hot water and leaned with his palms against the tiles in front of him. He tried to close his eyes but found the afterimage from his dream staring back at him and so he settled for staring at the tiny cracks in the aging checkered squares as the water scalded away the cramps in his muscles. It wasn't long before a curtain of long black hair obscured his vision and he swept the strands back, trying to ignore the aggravation he was feeling at the remnants of that dream.

He remembered that laugh. How could he possibly forget? The man who produced it had been the pivotal antagonist in most of the major events in his life. It annoyed him that he couldn't escape the man even in his own subconscious. Hojo, the worst case of mad scientist syndrome anyone would ever see and the so-called mastermind behind every calamity Vincent and the few people he considered friends had ever lived through. The man who had turned Vincent into what he was today. The man who had almost destroyed the world, twice.

The first time had been four years ago when Hojo's malevolent son (or creation, depending on how you looked at it), Sephiroth, tried to bring Meteor down and wipe out every living thing on the planet. The second time happened a year ago when Hojo's plans for resurrection came to fruition in the form of Omega WEAPON. If not for a few brave souls who had been strong enough to stand against both threats, Vincent might never have lived to see the sky again. He might never have been drawn out of his repentant solitude to fight by their side and to face the man behind it all finally after thirty years of sleep. He might never have had the chance to tell Lucrecia how he truly felt.

It was difficult to believe that all of that had happened over the span of only a few years. Vincent hadn't thought about Hojo since the madman's spirit died in the bowels of Deepground. Why was he having nightmares about the man now? It wasn't as if he couldn't put the entire thing to rest. In fact, he had, and he'd spent the last year roaming the planet aimlessly in an attempt to fit himself back into the world.

After destroying Omega, Vincent's inner demons had returned to the planet. He had to admit to himself that he'd become used to feeling that power inside of him, waiting like a tightly coiled spring to be unleashed. Now he felt empty. The protomateria buried in his chest was a dead weight against his rib cage. He wasn't sure what had happened to it but it no longer responded to him in any way – as though it had died when Chaos left him.

He scratched at the skin of his chest absently as he thought about it. Now that he knew where it was and knew what kind of wounds his immortal body could survive, he was tempted to rip it from his breast and toss it away. However, a part of him held back. It was a part of him that had become like the demons themselves over time. It whispered of a hope that he could find a way to revive it. He found those whispered too compelling to ignore.

The water was now uncomfortably hot and Vincent felt thoroughly boiled so he shut it off and left the bathroom to dry and redress in what he usually wore. The familiar weight of his cloak around his shoulders reassured him, as did the weight of Cerberus against his right thigh. It wasn't that he loved the weapon and certainly nowhere near the way the older pilot Cid loved his airship. It was more of a familiarity with an old friend that he knew he could rely on whenever he needed to. The people he knew that he could rely on the same way were scarce enough to count on two hands.

Staring out the window of his hotel room he could see the beginnings of dawn starting to lighten the sky over Edge. His wandering had landed him here a month ago with the secret desire to see how some of his few friends were getting along but he hadn't been able to work up the nerve to visit or even call yet. It had nothing to do with fear; he simply couldn't seem to break the silence he'd been living with since the Omega incident. He hadn't even seen or spoken to Shelke since she'd found him leaving Lucrecia's cave for the last time.

Strangely, only two people had continued to call his phone every now and then to leave him messages hoping for some form of contact after he vanished. One was Shelke, who he'd half expected occasional messages from anyways – the other was Tifa. Vincent didn't really know what to make of that. Tifa had always been kind to him from the beginning even in the wake of ridicule from the others. He hadn't given much thought to it at the time since his world had been too consumed by guilt and the need for penance to let anything else in. Her messages weren't anything long winded or emotional but whenever she left one it always felt like a gentle hand reaching out to touch his arm if only to be sure he was still alive and in one piece.

Maybe she cared more about his friendship than he believed. The thought warmed him a little in an inner place he no longer recognized. He firmly ignored it.

The burning edge of the sun peeked around the top of a building across the street from Vincent's window and he winced at it. Two crimson eyes flashed in his mind again and he shuddered at the memory. The sound of groaning wood made him realize that he was on the verge of ripping the windowsill from its frame. He slowly relaxed his grip and frowned at the holes his gauntlet's talons left in the surface of the wood. Great. Now he would have to find another odd job in the area to cover the repair.

_Maybe no one will notice._

That wasn't likely considering the way the clerk eyed his gauntlet whenever he passed through the lobby. He could almost see her counting off in her head how much he would rack up in repair expenses at the end of his stay. Thanks to that strange dream, he would have to see her smug face when he paid up.

The need to talk about his nightmare struck him suddenly and gave him the push he needed to seek out company. It was still early but the small digital clock by his bed told him that it wouldn't be too early by the time he reached Tifa's establishment, 7th Heaven, where Shelke was currently living. Perhaps he'd get lucky and find another small bounty job on the way. Vincent spun on his heel and headed for the door with a spray of blood red fabric behind him.


	3. Pleasant Surprises

**Chapter 3 – Pleasant Surprises**

The phone rang so suddenly that Tifa jumped from where she was tying Marlene's shoes. She sighed and let it ring with a mental reminder to check her voicemail once she'd sent the girl on her way for the day.

"Honestly Marlene, you should be doing this yourself now."

"But I like when you do it," the child pleaded sweetly. "Mine always comes undone."

Tifa smiled and stood up with her hands on her hips. "You can't improve if you don't get any practice." She only smiled more when the girl stuck her tongue out at her and jumped off the bed to dash downstairs where her father waited, impatient as ever. She took a few minutes to shepherd a few articles of dirty clothes into the conveniently ignored laundry bin in the corner of the room before heading downstairs herself.

On the way down she poked her head into Denzel's room – what had once been Cloud's – and chewed on her lip. The boy was old enough to clean up after himself but she could swear he was still a toddler by the way he left his bed unmade and his room a mess whenever he visited Cloud while the man was in town. At least there wasn't any dirty underwear lying around. She wondered if Cloud still camped out in the church every once in a while but decided not to ask. She'd freely given up any rights to his personal life about six months ago, although it was still hard not to settle into old habits.

Downstairs she found Barret defending himself against the hugs of an overly excited daughter and wondered what had prompted such an onslaught. Marlene was clinging to one of his thick legs and jumping up and down excitedly while he tried to pry her off as gently as his big hands would allow. Tifa crossed her arms and leaned against the counter to watch, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Okay, okay. I can't get it for ya if ya kill me first." Barret's rich laugh always warmed Tifa's heart. He plucked Marlene off the ground and she wrapped her small arms around his thick neck, still giggling with delight. Tifa never stopped marveling at how real his new prosthetic arm looked even knowing full well what kind of machinery it held folded away inside.

"You promise, daddy?"

"Yeah, I promise. But ya know ya better keep up your end'a the bargain or the deal's off, got it?"

She nodded emphatically and he set her down so she could dash out the door. Barret turned to follow but before stepping out he looked back at Tifa over his broad shoulder. He grinned and she expected him to elaborate on whatever his deal was with Marlene but instead he said, "Yo, Tif. You got a visitor." Then he was gone.

Her brows knitted in confusion and then flew up in surprise as she caught a hint of red in the corner of her vision and turned to find Vincent standing with his back against the wall at the other end of the bar she was leaning against. She could have sworn the place was otherwise empty when she first came downstairs. She straightened, put her hands on her hips, and cocked her head to the side slightly.

"Vincent! How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long."

She hadn't heard his voice in so long that the deepness and richness of it caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. She couldn't remember if they always did that when she heard him talk; he rarely talked at all. It never failed to surprise her coming from someone as tall and lean as he was. She fought the urge to shiver and smiled warmly.

"Why don't you have a seat? I haven't seen you in forever. We could catch up on things." She swung around behind the bar hoping that it would help him make the decision to stick around for longer than a few minutes. He didn't move from that patented Vincent lean with his arms and legs crossed and those curious red eyes followed her movements the way they had years ago. He almost succeeded in making her believe that he hadn't changed at all in four years.

"Where is Shelke?"

"She left for work less than an hour ago. You just missed her."

He lowered his eyes briefly and Tifa imagined him frowning thoughtfully behind his collar. She was struck with the sudden inexplicable urge to tear his coat off so she could see his expression and surprised herself with the laugh that rose suddenly in her throat. She fought to suppress it and leaned forward a little with her palms on the counter behind the bar when he didn't say anything more. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders and she caught him flick his eyes down to watch for a fleeting second.

"Is it something I could help with instead of Shelke? I don't have the technical knowledge that she has but I'm pretty good with matters of the heart…" She trailed off when she realized that the odds of whatever was bugging Vincent being a matter of the heart were slim to none.

He shifted his weight slightly and met her eyes. The clock on the wall behind Tifa's head ticked quietly in her ear as he considered her offer. She would have given every penny she owned to be able to read his enigmatic mind whenever she felt like it. Finally he answered by sitting on the stool directly across from where she stood.

"I had a very disturbing dream last night."

_Oh my gods, it is a matter of the heart!_ Her jaw almost dropped but she managed to keep a straight face and leaned further forward to rest her chin on a raised palm. This sent more of her hair spilling over her shoulder and she noticed Vincent watching it, secretly glad she'd chosen not to tie it back today. She thought she saw mild fascination in his strangely beautiful eyes but she chocked it up to her imagination.

"So tell me about it."

She assumed his silence before speaking meant that he wasn't sure where to start. "It was very realistic. More so than any dream I've ever had, and…" he broke off.

"And?"

He flicked his eyes back up to hers. "I was afraid."

She couldn't keep her eyebrows from flying up. Vincent afraid? And frightened by a dream no less. She hoped it wasn't something smutty since that was the only thing she could think of that would possibly frighten the man.

"After thinking about it on my way here I came to realize that it was too realistic to be a coincidence. It might have been a message."

"A message? From who?"

"I'm not sure … but I think it had something to do with Hojo."

She straightened slowly as she felt rocks pile up in the pit of her stomach. How much more of Hojo could Vincent take before it would be enough? Vincent was watching her face and she knew he could read her thoughts and expressions like an open book.

"You don't think-" she started, but Vincent cut her off.

"No. I don't believe he's alive."

Tifa relaxed visibly.

"However, he had decades to perform whatever experiments he felt like performing. It's possible that he left something behind. Something malevolent." _Something like Sephiroth._ He didn't need to say what they were both thinking.

"You think this dream you had is a message from whatever that something might be?" Her brows drew down at the thought.

Vincent shook his head very slightly. "It's possible but I have no way of knowing for sure."

"Vincent, what did you see? In the dream, I mean."

He stiffened and she instantly regretted asking. "It started with blinding red light. It hurt my entire body and I heard laughing somewhere in the distance. I didn't recognize it as Hojo's until later. When the light passed it was as if something had torn a hole in my chest and taken the protomateria the way Rosso had a year ago." He narrowed his eyes against the sudden flood of remembered rage. It must have colored his words because Tifa edged back slightly. "I felt the same fury I used to feel when Chaos was close to the surface but…"

He clenched his hands into fists on the countertop and threw his gaze off the side. His red eyes smoldered with something she didn't recognize and his unusual display of emotion caused her to react impulsively by reaching out to lay her hand over his unarmored fist. His reaction was instantaneous. He turned those smoldering eyes to bore right into hers and she fought an abrupt primal instinct to flee. She had always been strong willed; how else could she run a bar on top of handling Cloud, Barret, _and_ two orphans? So she held her ground and after a few tense minutes had passed, Vincent went cold and emotionless again.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Tifa."

_Well that was ambiguous._ "Why would I be afraid of you, Vincent?"

"I meant that Chaos is gone. The demons have left me. I'm empty now."

Had he really intended to say it that way? It was said with the usual detached Vincent attitude but his choice of words almost gave something away. Had he spent so much time apart from his friends because of this? She felt like she had just uncovered some buried treasure in those sentences and knew she was staring at the root of some problem without an appropriate way to dig it up. She considered her response carefully.

"Why do you feel so empty, Vincent?"

He didn't reply. Wrong answer, Tifa.

"Vincent…?"

"I should go." He drew his hand out from under hers and stood to walk to the door. The metallic ring of his heavy footsteps and whisper of his cloak echoed in the empty bar. She felt a vague sense of loss that she didn't quite understand when he broke their physical contact.

"Vincent, wait."

He stopped at the door and turned to look back over his shoulder from behind the high collar of his coat. She faltered, unable to come up with anything to say that would succeed in keeping him here.

"I'll tell Shelke that you're looking for her. She should be back around five this afternoon. We'll be closed for the holiday over the next few days but you're always welcome to stop by." She offered a gentle smile and hoped he would take her up on that offer, even if it was to visit someone else.

"Thank you." And he was gone, but his words held a weight that hinted he was thanking her for more than just what she'd said. She couldn't think of anything else he could be thanking her for.

**--**

The sleeper's power faded away and his sight dimmed to blackness behind closed lids. He folded his power carefully back into the depths of his inner sanctum. His father's records told him where to look and he'd found the focus of his purpose near the ruins of a city. His father's records told him that the city in the area had once been Midgar. It was obviously something different now. That knowledge was irrelevant so he ignored it. His purpose was all he cared about. His purpose was the man his father had known and destroyed and made whole again. His purpose was Vincent Valentine.

Metal talons scraped the rock beneath where he crouched and he enjoyed the sound of it. He enjoyed everything about being awake now. At first the light had hurt him, had burned his sensitive eyes and made his new flesh crawl uncomfortably. The blood red leather he wore that had been left by his father now covered most of that pale flesh and he rejoiced in the feel of it hugging his lean frame. The cold wind whipped his long black hair around him and whistled through the ruined metal of his birthplace behind him.

He remained crouched there for a long time. At his right thigh he felt a weight that was both new and familiar to him at the same time. His hand itched to touch it, feel it, and let it cry out as it longed to do. He thought he heard the voices of three women whisper their need to punish the wicked. He knew it was just his imagination but he was very inclined to oblige them.

He had a long way to travel and plenty of time to practice. Fortunately his father had left him with gifts similar to those of the man in whose image he had been created. Slowly he opened eyes the color of blood behind a veil of dark strands and stood tall. Behind him he felt the spread of dark wings that caught the wind. He let his thoughts pass his lips simply to hear his own deep voice aloud.

"I'm coming to take what's mine, Vincent. I hope for your sake you'll give it to me without a struggle." His lips twisted in amusement. From what he knew of the man based on his father's records, that was unlikely.

With a snap of wing membrane the sleeper was gone.


	4. Innocent Invitations

**Chapter 4 – Innocent Invitations**

Shelke walked into the bar about an hour later than Tifa expected. She looked up from where she was washing a plate half hoping Vincent had come back but all she saw was Shelke walking quietly around behind the bar to stand next to her. She was wearing a cream dress suite she sometimes wore to work that looked ridiculously adorable on her now ten-year-old body. Shelke, being mentally ten years older than her body, didn't seem to appreciate how cute she really was so Tifa didn't mention that fact. Instead she gave the girl a winning smile.

"Hey! How was your day? I see Reeve hasn't worked you to death yet."

"Work went well. I completed the secondary firewall and emergency recovery routines for the outer security systems successfully, although I still have a lot of work left to defragment and stabilize the WRO mainframe's internal database. Whoever designed it obviously had no intention to include efficiency in his work." Shelke's mostly monotone voice was without emotion, as usual. Tifa didn't bother trying to understand any of the details Shelke had given. She settled for a nod and continued cleaning the dish in her hands.

Shelke seemed to realize that what she'd said flew right over Tifa's head and dropped her blue eyes to the floor hesitantly. "I'm sorry. I tend to get carried away sometimes." This made Tifa laugh and Shelke looked up again.

"No, it's fine Shelke. I won't pretend I understand most of what you do for the WRO these days but I'm proud of it anyways. I think it's great that Reeve helped you find such a perfect use for your talents. And besides, if – gods forbid – something should ever happen to the WRO headquarters again, at least we know they're in good hands."

Shelke smiled fully. It had taken her a long time to learn how. "Thank you, Tifa." It had also taken her a long time to learn to stop saying Tifa's full name. Shelke turned to head upstairs but Tifa stopped her with an exclamation when she remembered what she'd said to Vincent in parting earlier that day.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Vincent came by looking for you this morning. I told him when you'd probably be back but I haven't seen him since he left. It sounded important, but then, everything Vincent says sounds important."

Shelke decided not to point out that the last part of that sentence had been a thought accidentally spoken aloud.

"If you see him again, Tifa, would you please tell him that it's alright to come up and talk to me?" At Tifa's nod, Shelke disappeared up the stairs to the room she was renting above to put on more comfy evening wear. Yuffie had come into town from Wutai for the holiday and the three of them had made plans to go out and celebrate since the bar would be closed for the next few nights.

Tifa busied herself with washing the rest of the day's dishes and lost herself in thought as she often did. The clink of porcelain was a soothing melody in the background. She thought about what had happened at this same time last year when the Tsviets had launched their plans to awaken the Omega WEAPON. Celebrations all over the planet had been interrupted by those events. Despite the outcome of the incident, cities all over the planet hummed with an undercurrent of fear as though waiting for the same thing to happen again. Tifa felt the fear wrapping itself around her heart and she tried to ignore the feeling. She told herself that she would celebrate twice as hard this year to make up for what everyone had missed last year.

Then her thoughts turned to Vincent. That entire incident had exposed more about him than anyone had ever learned four years ago. They had known something about what he was capable of back then but in the fight against Omega, they had come to fully appreciate his abilities. Only one person had been privy to all the details of his past and to everything that had happened to him during that incident, and that was Shelke. Shelke wasn't talking.

Even to this day the girl was still haunted by the memories of the woman scientist who had been partially responsible for Vincent's ultimate fate. Memories placed in her head for the sole purpose of locating Vincent. Despite knowing what Shelke had been through, Tifa felt a little jealousy at how close Shelke was to Vincent's heart. He would never admit it but she knew he felt an affinity for the girl. It wasn't love. He would never be able to think that way about the child regardless of her real age. It was more of a mutual respect between the two of them than anything else and that was closer to friendship than anything Tifa had ever seen between Vincent and anyone else.

"Tifa?"

The sudden voice close to her ear made her jump and she instinctively raised her fist, twisting to face the source and ready to strike with force that could easily kill. Her heart thudded loudly against her chest when she saw Vincent standing only a few feet to her left, and she heaved an exasperated sigh. Vincent stared at her fist and raised one eyebrow.

"Are you going to use that?"

"I dunno, I'm still thinking about it." But she lowered her fist and flexed her fingers loose so she could cross her arms. "Do you have to creep up on people like that?" There was a tiny hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I called your name from the door but you didn't answer. You appeared to be thinking. It seemed serious so I didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh, um, it was nothing important." She knew he didn't want to hear about last year's events and went back to her dishes. She was almost finished and would have to go change out of her usual shorts and tank top soon anyways. "Shelke is home now. I told her you were looking for her. She said you can go on up." A thought occurred to Tifa suddenly and she turned to face him again.

"Hey, why don't you come with us tonight?"

Vincent had been in the middle of turning to go when he stopped and glanced back. "What?"

"You know, to the festival? Shelke and I are going about half an hour before it starts getting too crowded. Yuffie's coming too and I … we'd all really like to spend some time with you while you're in town."

"I don't … celebrate. Why don't you take Cloud?"

"Oh, Cloud's out on a delivery run for the next few days." A strange expression flashed briefly on what Tifa could see of Vincent's face. It was gone so quickly that she almost thought she'd imagined it. She supposed it was the sudden lack of care with which she'd spoken of Cloud. Had she successfully piqued his curiosity? She hoped it would make him curious enough to tag along. "And don't even think about suggesting Barret. He's spending tonight with his daughter."

Vincent's eyebrows lifted slightly. Barret actually making an effort to spend time with Marlene? He had changed quite a bit, and so had Tifa. The fact that she didn't seem concerned that Cloud was gone came as quite a surprise to him. He wondered what had happened over the last year. Maybe it was time to find out. He hesitated while he weighed the discomfort of spending the evening in the middle of a crowd against the inexplicable desire to satisfy his curiosity.

It must have been the honest hope in Tifa's chocolate eyes that made his mind up for him because he nodded wordlessly and was rewarded with the brilliance of their sparkle and her smile. She didn't offer more than that before brushing past him.

"I should start getting ready. Shelke's room is upstairs at the end of the hall."

Vincent stood there for a moment wondering how he'd let himself get roped into an evening with the only three women on the planet that he'd had any significant contact with since he'd woken from his thirty year slumber. He groaned inwardly and was thankful that his collar hid the small contradictory smile on his lips.


	5. The First Piece

**Chapter 5 – The First Piece**

Upstairs, Vincent knocked softly on Shelke's door and waited.

"Come in Vincent Va … Vincent."

He crept in as quietly as usual and shut the door behind him. Shelke was sitting on the end of her bed wearing an outfit consisting mostly of yellow and white that made her look downright cute. She had one bent leg propped up on the edge of the bed so she could tie the yellow laces of a white shoe. He couldn't help smiling at her behind his collar but he chose not to mention how pleasant she looked, lest she gut him with one of her electromagnetic sabers.

After she was finished with her shoe she let it drop to the floor and turned to Vincent. Her clear blue eyes hinted that she was glad to see him but she otherwise showed no sign of emotion.

"Tifa mentioned that you needed to speak with me. Is there something you need my assistance with?"

Shelke had proven to be exceptionally intelligent since the moment Vincent met her. There wasn't much she couldn't puzzle through or disassemble, especially when it came to her technical specialty. It was sometimes difficult to remember that she was mentally ten years older than her body. He knew she was aware that there was something more going on than he'd let on to Tifa earlier and he wondered how much Tifa had told the girl about their conversation. With Shelke, there wouldn't be any need to hold back knowledge.

"Do you still have access to all of Hojo's records from when you were working with Deepground?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Yes, although much of that information has already been archived. I am certain that Reeve will allow you free access to it without my approval."

Vincent walked past her to stand at her window and watch the sky darken with the oncoming evening. "What I'm looking for won't be in the archives. Do you recall learning anything about any of Hojo's experiments that may have involved creating … something that we haven't already encountered?"

"The majority of the information regarding Professor Hojo's experiments centered on his plans involving the use of Jenova cells on growing fetuses and his plans for the Tsviets later in his life. You already know that information."

"What about something hidden. Something he kept secret."

"Vincent, you and I both know that Professor Hojo preferred recognition over secrecy," but a thought occurred to her. "However, there was one file that was believed to have been written by him. It was included in the information I was given about his work. No one was sure because it was encrypted and when I asked for the decryption key I was told to ignore the file as it did not pertain to anything I was involved in at the time."

Vincent turned to her. "Do you still have the file?"

"Yes, but … it will take some time to decrypt manually since I was never given the key and it is now lost. It is not a very big file so I'm not sure how much of a help it will be to you. If you wish, I will ask Reeve if I can use the WRO mainframe to run a decryption program on the file the next time I return to work but that will likely be a few days from now."

He nodded. "Thank you, Shelke."

"Vincent. May I ask what you are looking for?"

He turned back to the window and crossed his arms. "It may be nothing. I had a dream last night that felt suspiciously real, as though it were some kind of message to me. My intuition tells me that it was more than a dream and that Hojo is somehow involved."

"You believe that Hojo may have left more behind after his demise than just a few records." It wasn't a question and Vincent knew he didn't need to respond. Shelke's words settled over them with the weight of an ocean threatening to drown them both in the growing dark. The last thing the world needed was another legacy rearing its ugly head, especially on a night like tonight.

A banging on the door brought them both back to the present. Shelke hopped off the bed, one of her sabers in her hand suddenly from somewhere hidden, as Vincent's hand settled reflexively on the grip of his pistol. Neither person moved or spoke until they heard a familiar voice drift through the wood, and they realized simultaneously how ridiculous they must have looked.

"Hey you two! What's going on in there?! Open up already!"

Shelke sighed heavily and set her saber on her bed. Vincent grunted and tried to resist the temptation to draw his gun anyways.

"Helloooo? Are you two sleeping or what? Come on or we're gonna be late! Don't make me pull one of my awesome ninja tricks to break down this door! I don't want to have to reveal another great Wutai secret just to have some fun for the night! I'm giving you 'till the count of three and then I'm breaking in there. One! Two!"

"If we don't let her in, she'll wake the dead," Shelke sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else. She opened the door and Yuffie came stumbling into the room as if she'd been about to burst headfirst through the wood. "Thr…!"

She landed unceremoniously on her face on the floor of Shelke's room with a dull thud. "Oof! Hey, you could warn a girl first," she griped as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. Yuffie's evening outfit consisted of yet another colorful calamity of a t-shirt, shorts, knee-high socks, sneakers, and an assortment of ribbons strategically placed so that whenever she moved – or fell over – they would twirl or flutter. Vincent wondered how many clowns she'd murdered to fill out her wardrobe.

"Anyways, I was serious. If we don't get going soon we'll miss the whole thing. What were you two talking about to make you look so grim anyways?"

"Nothing," Vincent snapped and strode from the room with a flap of cloak.

Yuffie rolled her eyes before they settled on Shelke and lit up. "Hey, that's a cute shirt! I like your look but I think we can do better…" Shelke started to protest to whatever Yuffie was doing to her but Vincent didn't stop walking. Shelke could take care of herself. His only interest was the get this evening over with, so he practically flew down the stairs and almost careened right into Tifa's back – Tifa's mostly bare back.

He stopped dead in his tracks as she turned around to see who was making all that noise behind her. Her hair was pulled up into a loop at the back of her head except for two locks that hung down around either side of her face and over the front of her dress. Her dress was one black strapless piece held up by a choker-like strip around her neck. It left most of her back and shoulders exposed and there was a teardrop shaped section on the front missing just low enough down to hint at her impressive cleavage without giving too much away.

The dress fell to her mid thigh and was made of some fabric he couldn't place that hinted of being both soft and flexible in the way it hugged every single curve of her body and made her skin literally glow. Aside from the dress itself, she wore slim dark boots that came mid way to her calves with silver zippers along the inside length and a simple silver chain snaked around her right wrist.

Vincent felt his cheeks burn and knew he was staring but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Here was a woman who had stood by his side in battle and who he knew very well could kill a man with one kick, and he had never seen her wear anything like _this_ before. He was reminded in a painfully physical way that this was a woman; young, vibrant, and beautiful in ways he hadn't ever expected.

Tifa made a strange choking sound and cleared her throat, which only drew his eyes to her lips. "See something you like?" Her voice carried the faintest sultry note and made him blush even more. He ripped his eyes away from her in a desperate attempt to clear his head and reassemble his mask. She knew damn well what she was doing to him and he wasn't going to play that game. But even as he tried to slow his heartbeat he heard a soft laugh and caught the scent of her perfume.

It was too much. He brushed past her and fled out the front door and into the chill of the evening on the empty sidewalk in front of the bar. Inside he heard Yuffie rattling on as she came downstairs with Shelke and they met Tifa near the bar. Their voices were faint but he could make them out if he listened closely enough. It didn't help.

"Hi Yuffie, Shelke. You look nice! Are you ready to go?"

"Thank you Tifa, you look nice too. Yes, I'm ready to go."

"Oooooo! Wow Tif! I had no idea you had anything like _that_ to wear! Hey, where'd Vincie go?"

_If she calls me that to my face, I'll feed her a bullet._

"He's outside; at least I think he's still out there. I might have scared him off when he came down."

"Scared him off?" Shelke sounded puzzled. "Did you … hit him?"

Yuffie and Tifa both burst out laughing. "Yeah, Tif, tell us you socked him one so I can be glad someone finally did. He's such a grump sometimes!"

"No, I didn't hit him. I think he forgot that there's a woman behind all those punches. You know how men can be. They have a hard time believing that someone with a bigger chest can still kick their asses."

The three of them giggled at that and came outside. Vincent forced himself to unclench his fists and blank his face as they approached. He refused to look at Tifa and instead eyed Yuffie who was now a few ribbons short, having tied a few to Shelke's arms and hair, and was openly scrutinizing his clothing.

"Don't you ever wear anything besides that cloak and all that metal and leather?" She was leaning restlessly on one leg with the other splayed out to her side and her head tilted at an angle.

"Yuffie, didn't you say we would be late if we delayed any longer?" Shelke was attempting to distract Yuffie before Vincent could slay her. It seemed to work because Yuffie jumped up with an excited "Oh yeah!" and headed off down the sidewalk. The other two women followed her and Vincent fell into step behind them. He could already tell that tonight was going to be one of the hardest nights he'd ever live through. He should have fled when he had the chance.


	6. Strike One

**Chapter 6 – Strike One**

He reached the city as the moon was just rising above the horizon. Half of the night had already passed and the air was crisp against his wings. Strange smells rose from the city below. Smells of sweet things, human sweat, and many bodies; and somewhere mixed in was the scent of his prey. He was drawn to the strongest glow below and he dipped his wings to glide effortlessly toward it. It was a gathering. His programmed knowledge told him it was the festival that celebrated the end of the threat of Meteor and the death of a man named Sephiroth.

That man had been his father's son. A festival to celebrate the death of a brother, blood related or not, filled him with rage. He felt his body trying to respond as he hovered in the night sky but there was something restricting him from setting his full power free. He knew what caused it and what he needed to fill the void and open the floodgate. Somewhere below him, among that crowd, his prey moved blissfully unaware of his presence.

At his side, Fury whispered to him, her triple barrels aching to feel the heat of use, to strike vengeance upon those who would pay penance for their sins. He stroked the grip and whispered back.

"Tonight."

**--**

Most of the evening passed without too much annoyance. Vincent found himself staying near Tifa whenever he could but he spent most of the time silently watching her and the other two women have their fun. Yuffie had taken a liking to an odd purple drink being served throughout the festival that smelled dangerously sweet and very alcoholic. She was leaning on Shelke and slurping loudly on her third one as the four of them began to move in the general direction of home. Tifa had managed to avoid the drinks so far until Yuffie bought her one and warned her that it would be rude to refuse a gift from the _Princess of Wutai_. Defeated, Tifa accepted it and was still nursing it when they broke through the crowds half an hour later onto the sidewalk at the edge of the festival.

It was bordering on midnight by now and Vincent felt a strange itch at the back of his mind. He thought it might be the memory of what happened last year coming back to haunt him. Tifa was watching his stolid face, trying to decipher his thoughts. While Yuffie was busy precariously showing Shelke how to perform some famous ninja dance move, she put her hand on his arm and squeezed a little to draw his attention, speaking low so as not to be overheard.

"Vincent? Are you alright? You look disturbed."

"It's nothing. A memory, perhaps." He shrugged it off but she suspected it wasn't just 'nothing'. She recalled the dream he'd told her about that morning and chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. Then she turned to Shelke and whispered something in her ear. Shelke looked at Vincent curiously for a moment before nodding back to Tifa. She walked over to Yuffie, took her hand to stop her wobbling spin, and dragged her off in the direction of Yuffie's hotel room.

"What're you doin', Shelkie?" she slurred in protest. "I was'n done showing you that dance move. It's a real killer, honest!"

"You are drunk. I want to make sure you make it home in one piece."

"Aww c'mon, Shelkie. You know I can han'le myself," she hiccupped as the two of them disappeared around the corner at the end of the block, almost taking out a street sign on the way.

Tifa turned back to Vincent. "Mind walking me home?" There was a gloss over her eyes and her drink was half empty but she seemed steady on her feet. He knew she wanted to talk about something but between the look in her eyes and the dress she was wearing he couldn't find a reason to refuse. He shook his head and turned in the direction of the bar. He felt Tifa come around to his right side and slip her free arm around his. The warmth of her arm radiated easily through the black leather and he wondered if she was that warm all over. The errant thought surprised him and he pushed it away when he felt her eyes on him.

"So tell me what I did wrong, Vincent."

"Hmm?" He looked down at her over his collar, clearly confused. She smiled.

"Well I must have done something wrong because you've been avoiding looking at me all night."

His eyebrows shot up and he fixed his eyes on the sidewalk in front of them. "That's not why I … I haven't been avoiding looking at you." It sounded feeble to his ears. He had to try hard not to pull away from her touch as it would only give her more ammunition.

"Sure you have, you're doing it right now. So tell me, is it the dress? It's horrible isn't it?"

"No. Your dress is … nice."

"That doesn't sound very convincing, Vincent. Can I call you Vince?"

"You can call me whatever you wish, Tifa."

They rounded a corner and left the glow of the festival behind them, stepping through a pool of darkness where a streetlamp's bulb had gone out. Vincent could see 7th Heaven two blocks down on the opposite side of the street. There were several burned out lamps on this street and that bothered him for some vague reason. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though, as Tifa continued her assault.

"Alright, so if my dress is so horrible that you won't even look at it, I guess I should just take it off."

Another look of shock widened his eyes as he stared down at her but a second later they narrowed suspiciously.

"You're drunk."

"What? I am _not_ drunk! I'm not even tip-" She attempted to round on him as she spoke and her foot caught a crack in the pavement, sending her stumbling forward. Her drink went flying and she closed her eyes as she waited for the ground to rush up to meet her but when her hands closed on fabric instead of dirt she opened them to find herself leaning against Vincent's chest. His arms had caught her and stopped her fall and his crimson eyes pinned her in place.

It took her a handful of heartbeats to finally draw a breath and right herself. She noticed that he hadn't released his hold on her forearms. Without applying any pressure at all, they kept her hands pressed flat against his chest. She could feel the heightened pace of his breathing and heartbeat and Vincent knew they betrayed him. Suddenly very nervous, Tifa cleared her throat softly, causing him to blink and release his grip. The mask of indifference returned.

"I'm sorry, Tifa."

"No, it was my fault. I guess I am a little tipsy. That stuff should be illegal. I didn't mean to-"

Something growled in the pool of shadow they were standing next to and both of them spun to catch the flash of two red pinpoints just disappear. Tifa had her fists up and Vincent had his hand on his pistol. He was peering into that darkness with such intensity that he missed seeing his own shadow turn and fix glowing red eyes on him. Its voice was identical to his except for a guttural undertone.

"You have something…"

Vincent drew his pistol purely on instinct and fired as he whirled to face his shadow. The bullets sank into concrete of the building's outer wall with a puff of grey powder. His shadow moved with him as it always did and the eyes were gone. There was nothing there.

"…that belongs to me."

Something hit him from behind and threw him up against the wall with bone crushing force. Tifa yelled wordlessly behind him. His vision burst with flecks of black and white and he felt himself being tossed sideways into the shadows under the broken streetlamp. He grunted as he hit the ground hard and lost whatever air was left in his lungs. Silver metal glinted as it moved over him. He was pushed roughly onto his back and he gasped as five points of something very sharp dug into his chest around where the protomateria rested.

"Here!"

The word was growled into his ear by lips he couldn't see in the darkness. He felt the points dig deeper and start to pull. He tried to move, tried to raise his gun, but the weight of a body settled over him and held him in place. The pressure in his chest prevented him from breathing. Through the haze in his vision he saw the same red eyes he'd seen in his dream the other night. The world quickly started to darken and the pressure in his chest grew so great that he could have sworn he heard his ribs creak in protest.

Somewhere far away he heard the crunch of a boot against something hard and the weight was lifted from his body, the points of burning fire withdrawn from his body. Something not quite human screamed in pain and shock. The pressure in his chest eased and he let himself fall away into unconsciousness.


	7. Safety Measures

**Chapter 7 – Safety Measures**

This pain was new to him. He hadn't expected the woman to be so strong. He didn't recognize her from either his programmed memories or his father's records. When he first closed in on his prey, he had assumed the woman was just someone the man had picked up at the festival, perhaps a little too drunk to make it home without help by the way she was clinging to his arm. Watching her stumble had only solidified his assumption.

But this wound, it felt as though her kick had nearly cracked his skull. There was so much refined force behind it that he knew he would be dead if she had been completely sober. It was a careless mistake and one he wouldn't make again.

However, if she was his lover, he would have to be more careful before making another attempt, as she would be near him often enough to pose a threat. He had been given intimate knowledge of the man he was hunting but he had no knowledge of who that woman was or what she was capable of. At least he had been careful not to reveal too much about himself. He doubted that either of them would remember enough detail about his attack to glean any useful information from it.

Satisfied with that knowledge, he fled knowing that he would have plenty of time to observe his prey and plan his next move.

**--**

Vincent's consciousness began to return to him when he felt something warm against the skin over his heart. It was a foreign sensation but pleasant enough not to alarm him. As he wobbled on the edge of being fully awake he thought he would prefer to let that sensation lull him back into deep sleep. It had been such a long time since he'd felt the touch of another person.

Touch?

His eyes flicked open and his right hand went for the pistol that was no longer there. Panic flooded his mind and he tried to push himself up only to come up against firm resistance in the form of the hand against his chest. Visions of the attack came back to him in scattered fragments. The images and remembered sensations made his breath come in short gasps. His body trembled against his will and his trigger hand lashed out blindly for his missing gun.

"Oh no. Vincent, take it easy! It's me, Tifa. Hey, calm down, you're in a safe place."

Tifa. Safe. Her soothing voice broke through the panic and his breathing slowed. Firm hands pressed his shoulders down and he let his head fall back against the pillow. Once he had regained control he was able to orient himself to his surroundings.

He saw that he was lying on his back in an unfamiliar room, probably one of 7th Heaven's upstairs bedrooms. Tifa sat on a wooden stool to his right with what looked like a wet cloth and a bowl of water in her lap. She was smiling at him in a very strange manner. After a moment he realized why. He was currently lacking his cloak and the strip of cloth he wore wrapped around his head. His leather tunic had also been opened to give access to his chest.

"You probably shouldn't try to move just yet. It's only been a few hours since that thing attacked you. It put five holes in your chest. I thought I might lose you there for a while but they seem to be healing pretty quickly. You always were a tough one, Vince."

She dropped the cloth into the bowl and set it beside her on the floor so she could lean over and examine his wounds. Her fingers on his skin made him draw in a short gasp and the fact that she caught every nuance of his expression just then left him feeling painfully exposed without the various clothing pieces he used to obscure his face. He had been tended to by plenty of doctors in the past without a second thought. Why the hell did it bother him when Tifa did it? Mercifully, she removed her hand and sat back.

"It looks like you should be up and running again in another few hours. I would tell you that I'm sorry for taking your coat and headband off but I would be lying if I did." She crossed her arms. "Oh come on, you don't have to frown at me like that. I was afraid you'd bleed to death if I didn't, and besides, at least now I can tell everyone how handsome you really are." She laughed a little when he glared at her.

When he didn't say anything, Tifa sighed. "Look, Vincent. Whatever attacked you back there nearly killed you. Sure, you're healing up like nothing happened but if I hadn't come to my senses long enough to save your ass you'd be back in a coffin again right now. I'm not saying you need to thank me but the least you can do is not hate me for wanting to see your face, or for liking what I see." It was one of her wake-the-hell-up-and-smell-the-roses speeches. They hadn't failed her yet.

Her words struck him harder than her fist would have if it had been saying the same thing. Never mind that she was admitting to things his battered head wouldn't be able to process until later, she was right about saving him. Whatever hit him had known exactly how and when to strike and it had apparently ignored Tifa completely. That meant that it was after him specifically. He remembered seeing the eyes from his dream staring back at him from the shadows. So his dream _had_ been a message, but more than that; it had been a threat.

He cursed himself for missing what was now obvious to his mind. Somewhere out there was a malevolent being that knew enough about him to have caught him off guard. It was hunting him down for a purpose he knew nothing about and now it would be after Tifa as well. She had hit the thing hard enough to scare it off and hopefully do some real damage. While that was a comforting thought, it still meant that she was now on its list of enemies.

He ignored the fact that he would be dead if he had spent the night alone. Tifa was one of the strongest fighters he'd ever met but by confiding in her, he'd placed her firmly in harm's way and neither of them knew anything about what they were up against. It was his fault, just as his tragic past had been. He would be damned if he'd let someone else he cared about – friend or otherwise – get herself killed.

Tifa was currently entranced by the subtle changes in his expressions as he let his thoughts run. She jumped a little when he finally spoke and she found she couldn't stop watching his lips.

"You're right, Tifa. I should be concentrating on what to do about this whole situation. I'm grateful for what you did for me but it also put you at risk." It sounded enough like a scolding that she pinned him down with a warning stare and he decided to choose his words more carefully. "Whatever hit me earlier tonight will be after you as well, now. I think it would be best if I stayed near you until I can find out what it is and what it wants."

"Oh, so you want me to be your bodyguard?"

His brows came down. "That's not what I meant." Suddenly uncomfortable on his back, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and raised one knee so he could rest his gauntleted arm over it.

"I know what you meant, but if you start following me around people will start to think you're my boyfriend."

His sitting position allowed his unbound hair to fall in front of his face and grant him some measure of protection against her scrutiny. He dropped his gaze behind his curtain of dark strands.

"It's only so I can protect you if something happens."

"If I recall, you were the one that needed protecting back there."

"If _I_ recall, you were tipsy, which was probably why it didn't consider you a threat … at first." He added that last bit to take some of the sting out of his words. He knew the anger on her face was just a mask for her embarrassment at how she'd acted with him. "However, if my presence is going to cause you any problems, I can stay out of sight easily. You'll never know I'm here."

"No, it's alright." Her features softened and she half smiled. "I don't mind the thought of having you at my side."

He was left to wonder exactly what she meant by that as she stood and stretched. He noticed that she was still wearing the dress. He also noticed the way it slid over her skin as she arched backwards with her arms over her head. He turned away before he let his eyes get him into trouble again.

"I need to get some sleep, Vincent. I know you heal quickly but you should try to get some rest too. If I really did catch that thing off guard, I don't think it'll be back tonight. I'll see you in the morning."


	8. Recollections

**Chapter 8 – Recollections**

Morning would come too swiftly for Tifa to get any decent rest. Her mind wandered over the events of the previous night and prevented her from getting any rest until it was nearly dawn. Had she really saved Vincent's life back there on the street? It seemed strange and very frightening to her that he'd been taken down so easily and so quickly. As she drifted to sleep, her mind replayed the scene.

_They were walking side by side back to her bar. The buzz from her drink removed enough of her inhibitions to give her the guts to banter with the stoic man next to her. It also gave the alternating patches of light and dark on this street a surreal appearance. She could tell she was breaking through his defenses at least a little by the way he was avoiding her questions. Maybe if she tried something bolder he would be forced to react, instead of hiding behind that damned collar of his. When they crossed into shadow she made her move. Queen takes knight._

"_Alright, so if my dress is so horrible that you won't even look at it, I guess I should just take it off."_

_That hit home. The way his eyes widened made her want to laugh but she held back when they narrowed a moment later._

"_You're drunk." His voice had an accusatory edge that hurt. How could he possibly think that a woman who ran a bar couldn't hold her liquor? She had almost half of her cup left!_

_She spun to face him so she could give him a piece of her mind. "What? I am _not_ drunk! I'm not even tip-" She realized too late that she really was tipsy when her toe caught on something and sent her tumbling wildly. She let her drink go and brought her hands up to shield her face, waiting for the pavement to find her. When it didn't, she decided it was safe to open her eyes and assess the damage._

_They were under a working lamp now. She saw that her hands were gripping the front of his red coat tightly and she was leaning heavily against him. She lifted her head to find herself caught by the intensity of the look in his eyes. Those curious red eyes pulled her in and made her want to open herself to him in ways she didn't even know she could. She found she couldn't breathe. She was drowning in that gaze and curiously, she thought she didn't mind._

_Eventually her body told her that if she wanted to live she would have to breathe so she did just that, forcing herself to step back. She was surprised at how much she regretted losing the feel of his arms around her. Was this the alcohol? The feeling of being suddenly and enigmatically naked in front of him drove her to pull back even further but she was held in place by the grip he still had on her forearms. Why couldn't she break loose? It wouldn't be difficult physically, given her strength._

_Her palms were still resting against his chest and beneath the leather and fabric she felt the speed of his heartbeat and the quickness of his breath. He was excited, but by what? Maybe the alcohol was hitting her harder than she thought. Suddenly nervous, she cleared her throat and saw him blink. His hands fell away as did his eyes. Any normal man would look embarrassed. Vincent showed no sign of emotion at all._

"_I'm sorry, Tifa."_

"_No, it was my fault." She didn't want him to regret what had just passed between them, whatever it had been. "I guess I am a little tipsy. That stuff should be illegal. I didn't mean to-"_

_What sounded like a growl from her left triggered her mental alarms and she spun along with Vincent, bringing her fists up. She thought she saw a flash of red glowing in the shadows but it was gone. Why was she so jumpy? She could feel Vincent tense beside her, doubtless with his hand on his gun. She was about to shrug it off when Vincent spun and drew his weapon with lightning reflexes. A bullet thudded into the concrete wall in the middle of his shadow's forehead._

_He was acting strangely and she had no idea why. She hadn't heard or seen anything but he reacted as though his own shadow had just tried to jump out of the wall and eat him. She didn't get a chance to ask him because something dark fell over them both and pushed her back against the lamp post as it crushed Vincent up against the wall. She cried out wordlessly, stunned._

_It moved too quickly for her to follow and before she could shake off her fear she saw it toss Vincent violently into the darkness nearby. It descended on him with a flapping of cloth that sounded familiar. She couldn't place it just then._

_The shock of that strike held her rooted in place long enough to catch a horrifying flash of metal close over Vincent as he lay on his back beneath that thing. Under the sound of creaking leather she heard him groan quietly. The sound broke through to her brain and spurred her into action. Her friend was in serious trouble and she had to do something about it._

_Darting forward nimbly she aimed her heel at what she thought might be the thing's head with the driving force of years of martial arts practice. It struck something solid with a sickening crunch and sent the indistinguishable mass spinning away into the shadows with a deep inhuman scream._

_Eat boot you son of a bitch._

_She might have smiled if Vincent wasn't laying deathly silent at her feet. There were five finger sized holes just to the left of his heart and she could see blood welling in the wounds. He wasn't conscious but at least he was breathing. 7__th__ Heaven was only a block away. She thought she could manage to drag him that far, even though he was strangely heavy for his lean frame. She worried her lower lip as she placed one of his arms across her shoulders and heard him moan quietly when she lifted him._

"_Come on, Vince. Stay with me. Home isn't far."_


	9. Rude Awakening

**Chapter 9 – Rude Awakening**

Tifa woke suddenly to the violent shaking of her bed. Sunlight streamed in from well above her windowsill and she raised a hand to shield her eyes. Her bed shook again and she turned the most impressive glare she could make at whoever was causing it, which happened to be Yuffie in this case. It only managed to look like a squinty pout. Yuffie giggled as she sat on the edge of the bed triumphantly.

"I hope Cloud doesn't have to listen to you saying things like that in your sleep."

"What are you talking about?" Tifa snarled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with one palm.

"_Oh Vincent! Oh Vincent!_" Yuffie's mocking tone got her nothing more than a pillow right in the face.

"Yuffie! For your information, it was a dream about what happened last night." Tifa realized the second the words left her mouth that Yuffie hadn't been there to see 'what happened last night' and would naturally assume that all sorts of inappropriate things went on. The wicked quirk in the other girl's grin verified it. "That's not what I meant! Oh for Shiva's sake, would you go away and let me get some sleep?"

Tifa drew her covers up over her head to shut everything out. Maybe if she pretended the girl wasn't there, she'd go away. She wasn't so lucky.

"Tif, it's already like ten o'clock. Come on, I know you didn't have as much of that stuff as I did and look at me? I'm just peachy!"

Tifa's muffled retort came through the covers. "You weren't trying to save someone's life before you even made it home. Besides, you're always peachy."

"I know, I know," Yuffie sighed, staring at the ceiling. "It's a blessing and a curse. Vince said what happened was pretty rough before he left this morning. It's too bad I wasn't there with you two. I would've shown that monster a thing or two." She punched the air with her fists as if to emphasize her words. Tifa sat up to face her with a surprised look on her face.

"He told you what happened?" _What else did he tell you?_ She didn't think Vincent was the type to confide in Yuffie, especially considering their history, but then Yuffie _had_ helped him out quite a bit and even saved his life once during the Omega incident. Apparently that had earned the younger girl at least toleration status with Vincent.

"Yeah, but he didn't say much. You know how he is. Just that you guys got attacked by a scary 'something' and that you saved his butt and brought him back here." She sounded as though she didn't expect anything less from Tifa. "Oh, and don't bother asking for thanks. Trust me on that."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Tifa smiled at the girl. When she wasn't being a major annoyance to everyone around her, Yuffie was actually great company. But something she'd said a minute ago came back to Tifa. "Wait, you said he left?" The alarm in her words made Yuffie glance over her shoulder at Tifa in confusion.

"Yeah, a few hours ago. Why, is that bad?" Tifa threw her covers off with enough force to throw them over Yuffie's head and she squeaked when she found herself swallowed by them so suddenly. "Hey, what gives?" She fought them for a good minute before finally freeing herself so she could glare at Tifa, who was throwing on a t-shirt and shorts. She was looking for her shoes when Yuffie stopped her.

"Woah, where are you going Tif? He said he'd be back."

"He did?" Tifa looked up hopefully.

"Yep. I don't know where he went but he said he had to go pick up some things and that he'd be back as soon as he could." Yuffie put her small hands on her hips. "That thing really did a number on you guys, didn't it?" She eyed Tifa with concern as the other woman sat on a nearby chair with a heavy sigh.

"Yes. It did." Tifa stared down at her hands as they clutched the life out of a sock, her eyebrows knitted. "I've never seen anything like it. In fact, I don't think I even really saw it at all, Yuff. It moved so _fast_. I've never seen anything move that fast, not even _him_." They both knew that Tifa was referring to Sephiroth. "That … _thing_ took Vincent out faster than I could even react. If I hadn't done something…" She trailed off and let the sock fall from hands that suddenly went numb. "And now it's after me, too."

Silence reigned between them for a while as the sun climbed higher in the sky and baked Tifa's back. It was uncomfortable but she couldn't find the willpower to get up and move away. When the silence became almost unbearable, Yuffie sniffed and rubbed the side of her nose with a finger.

"Look, Tif. This all sounds pretty freaky to me but this isn't like you. You and I have personally helped save the planet what, three times now? You never had a problem stepping up before and I know you're as tough as any one of us, even Vincent. We can beat this!"

_I'm as tough as Vincent?_ The conviction in Yuffie's voice gave Tifa the determination she needed to at least face what had already happened, although she still felt a small quiver of fear in the pit of her stomach when she thought about it. She stood up with a smile and looked the girl in the eye. "You're right. This isn't like me at all. I'll just have to find my strength again, the way Cloud did."

"Speaking of Cloud, have you called him yet? I bet he'd come in handy in a scrap. Where is he, anyways?"

"He's out on a delivery for a few days. I haven't called him yet and to be honest, I don't think I should. I don't think I should call anyone else who doesn't already know what happened."

"Huh? Why not?" Yuffie was clearly confused. "I thought you two were…"

"Not anymore. Oh, it's nothing terrible. We just came to an understanding, I guess. It was a long time coming. Anyway, he moved out about six months ago and we still see each other and share the kids, we're just not _seeing_ each other." There was no bitterness in her words anymore as there had been once. She'd come to terms with the way things really were shortly after the Omega incident.

Privately, her reason for trying to contact Vincent as much as she did over the last year was that she needed someone to confide in who could help her see the situation objectively. Vincent was the only person who knew them both well and never had an obviously biased opinion about her relationship with Cloud. But that was all behind her now.

"Besides, I don't want to put any more of our friends in danger than necessary. Something tells me that having more people involved will only make things worse. That includes you too, missy." Tifa fixed her with a firm look.

Yuffie's jaw dropped. "What? Why can't I help?! I'm already involved in this. You can't just shut me out!" She waved her arms in protest. "You need me!"

Tifa's quiet smile did nothing to lessen the finality of her decision. "I'm sorry, Yuff, but I just can't let you get involved this time. At least not until I know enough about what's going on to keep you from putting yourself at risk." She left no room for argument and the pout that Yuffie gave her afterwards only made her smile more. "What if I promise to keep you in the loop as long as you're still in town?" She saw Yuffie brighten at that.

"Well that's something at least. Maybe I can help you figure out what it is. By the way, I called and told everyone back home that I'd be staying here longer than I planned. They weren't happy but who can really deny _me_ anything?" She winked at Tifa, who laughed and decided not to mention that she'd just denied Yuffie something.

"I need a shower," Tifa said as she slipped into her bathroom. "I'll be down in about twenty to make some lunch if you're hungry. I would offer you a room but I'm afraid we're full unless you want to bunk with Shelke or the kids. Vincent's going to be staying in Cloud's old room until we can figure this mess out. He insisted, so don't even start." She heard the click of Yuffie's teeth as she snapped her mouth shut on whatever she was going to say. "I suppose I could ask Barret to keep Marlene and Denzel for a few more days if you want to stay in Marlene's room."

"That'd be fine, Tif. I'll see you downstairs!" That settled, Yuffie left.

Tifa cringed inwardly at the thought of asking Barret to put up with those two tyrants for longer than a few hours. He would never agree to it without some creative persuasion but it was the least he could do for shirking his parenting responsibilities for so long, and she'd be sure he damned well knew it. Besides, everyone knew he secretly enjoyed spending time with both of them whenever he could.

Tife pinched the bridge of her nose against the dull throb starting up in her head. She could tell today was going to be a very long day, but the thought of having Vincent around to back her up was a welcome comfort.


	10. Premium Heart

**Chapter 10 – Premium Heart**

An hour later Tifa and Yuffie were enjoying comfortably full stomachs and reminiscing about their past adventures while they sat at the bar. Tifa was in the middle of telling Yuffie about her daring rescue from the clutches of Don Corneo and how dashing Cloud looked in a dress when the door swung open. Both women looked over to see Vincent walk in with a large black duffel bag slung over one shoulder. He barely nodded to them both before continuing to his temporary quarters without a word.

The two women glanced at each other significantly and Yuffie nodded. "I'll clean up down here."

Tifa left her there to deal with the dishes and followed Vincent up the stairs. When she poked her head into the room she saw that Vincent was pulling a long rifle out of the bag and there was a shotgun already resting on the desk next to where he was standing. She leaned against the door frame and watched him as he checked the sight, then cocked the rifle and pulled the trigger. It was empty of course but the loud snap assured him that the mechanism was working well. He set the rifle down next to the shotgun and spoke without turning around.

"You can come in, Tifa. This is your house after all."

She couldn't help smiling. She hadn't made any noise coming up the stairs but that never stopped Vincent from being aware of everything around him – most of the time, anyways. She held her ground quietly until he finally stopped rummaging through his bag and looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I was starting to get worried, you know." She tilted her head a little, spilling her hair over the shoulder that wasn't pressed against the door's frame.

"I'm sorry. Did Yuffie not tell you I would return?"

"She did. It's just that you were gone for quite a while. I was starting to wonder if you might have run into trouble."

"Did you miss me that much?" His words were flat, but if he hadn't been wearing his coat she would have caught his smirk.

_Was that humor? Fine, I can play that game._ "I just wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun."

"I promise I won't get killed next time without you there to watch."

_Ouch._ "Good, at least then one of the men in my life won't run off to die alone … for once."

Her comment seemed to snap him back from wherever he'd let himself go to and he turned around again. An unspoken apology passed between them and that was that. "Tifa, come here."

She finally came into the room and moved to stand next to him, leaning her hip against the edge of the desk to his right. He was feeling around for something in his bag. That was when she noticed that he wasn't wearing his metal gauntlet and her jaw dropped. He didn't need to look at her to know what she was staring at.

"I can't clean my weapons while wearing it." That was all he offered as an explanation and it was a lot more than he would ever give anyone else.

"I … I thought it was…" She stammered. It made him look over and raise his eyebrow again.

"Prosthetic? Most people do." As if to prove it, he extended the hand to her and flexed his long and evidently real fingers. He expected her to look at it and nothing more but instead, she told hold of his wrist with one hand and dragged the fingertips of her other hand over his palm and then over the back.

He became acutely aware that he hadn't felt the touch of another person in well over thirty years and he almost jerked his hand out of her grip. He forced himself to wait patiently and impassively until Tifa was finished with her study. A tiny voice in the back of his head wondered aloud what else she might be so fascinated in studying. He stamped down on it until it shut itself up. When she released him finally, he returned to his previous task. Tifa was watching him intently but he gave her no indication as to what he thought about her little examination.

After a moment more of feeling around, he finally produced a pair of leather gloves and handed them to her. "I thought you might want these back." At first the right glove didn't seem to match the other due to it being made of purplish grey leather and being slightly heavier than the black left glove. However, Tifa recognized them instantly when she noticed the initials "P.H." inscribed on the underside of each padded wrist band. She gasped and took them almost reverently.

"How did you…?"

"You lost them some time after that final fight four years ago. It took me almost a month to track them down but unfortunately I never had a chance to give them back to you." His words were purely factual.

Her brows came together and there was a wondering tone in her voice. "You kept these all this time? Why?" When she looked back up at him she could see the smile in his eyes that he wasn't quite fast enough to hide.

"In case you needed them again some day." He made it sound as simple as that and turned to continue unpacking but Tifa wasn't going to allow simplicity. He felt her hand come up to pull his face back around to her gently. He flinched at the unexpected touch. When he looked at her, for once he couldn't read the expression on her face. Her brown eyes glistened wetly and he wanted to turn away but her hand held him in place long enough for her to whisper "Thank you." Her fingertips left hot trails down his cheek as she let him go.

She spun away from him so suddenly that he was afraid she was going to flee the room but all she did was lean back against the desk again and drop her head enough so she could hide behind a curtain of long dark hair. Vincent let his gaze linger on her a moment more before returning to his bag. Perplexed, he had no idea she would act so strangely over a pair of fighting gloves.

"I called Barret and Cloud earlier. Barret's going to take the kids until we sort this out and I told Cloud that I was having guests over for a while and not to bother stopping by unless it was an emergency. I think they both know that something's up but I didn't tell them anything. I didn't think it would be a good idea to get them involved." Her voice was a little husky.

"Doesn't Cloud live here?" Vincent said as he pulled Cerberus from its holster and set it next to the other weapons. He pulled several ammunition boxes from his bag and placed them on the desk as well, taking a mental count of his stock. After that he decided to unpack the rest later and turned his full attention to the woman next to him while she hedged.

"No." That was all the answer she gave and that single word spoke volumes about what her situation with Cloud was now. Clearly he had been out of the loop long enough to miss some big event. Had that been why she had tried so often to get in touch with him? He couldn't imagine why she would want to confide in him if that was indeed the case. Her tone told him not to ask but her posture said she needed to talk to someone about it desperately.

If he was going to spend the next few days by this woman's side in order to protect her, he was going to have to deal with whatever tension that may come up between them. He couldn't help her if she decided to avoid him for some reason. Or perhaps it was that he was afraid she would decide not to protect _him_? He chose to ignore that possibility, and decided to risk it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She let her head drop even further and her fingers began to fidget with the gloves she still held against her stomach. It seemed at first like she wasn't going to reply but after a minute she took in a slow breath and let it out in a sigh of resignation.

"He moved out six months ago. Thing started to change not too long after you disappeared and everyone thought you were dead. I noticed after we found you that he was suddenly distant. It was like fighting again brought back memories. It's always those damn memories. I think I was talking to Shelke about it one day. The conversation turned around when I asked her if there was anything going on between you two. When she said no I think I was surprised. You seemed as though you cared about her and respected her in the same way Cloud does for me. I guess in my little world, I assumed that was love."

"It made me start to look at things differently. I had to ask myself if what was between me and Cloud really _was_ love." Leather squeaked softly as she closed her hands into fists around the gloves. "I realized that it wasn't. It was respect more than anything else and I knew he did care for me but it would never be love. Not the kind that I always hoped for. I spent months fighting that notion but the more I thought about it, the more I started to believe. Then a little over six months ago I sat him down and talked to him about it."

"I guess I was trying to convince myself more than anything. He didn't argue or refute what I was saying at all and I think that's what finally opened my eyes. We both understood where things are between us. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be in the end. I only cried a little. A week later he moved out."

She fell silent and fidgeted with her gloves as tears rolled over her cheeks. She hated herself for still being able to cry over what had happened. She was on the verge of ripping apart a seam in the leather when Vincent's hand closed over hers to still their movements. She twisted to place them on the desk and while she was partially turned towards him he closed the distance, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and pulled her to him.

The embrace was awkward at first and she initially had no idea what to do. It was clear that he was only trying to offer her comfort. Eventually she allowed herself to lean into him and rested her head against the fabric of his coat. Her arms slid around his waist and she felt his steady heartbeat against her cheek. She realized for the first time exactly how tall and lean he really was, and so warm. The scent of leather, metal, gun powder, and something distinctly male surrounded her. It was terribly appropriate for Vincent.

His warmth eased the pain she'd been fighting since the day Cloud had moved out and his scent borrowed into her mind and drove her body to respond to the way he was pressed against her. It would be so easy to let him swallow her whole and make her forget everything that had happened. He would never judge her for living with a lie for so long. That alone was worth so much. She was so comfortable that she almost didn't notice her unconscious visceral response until it was too late and backed away from him with a jerk, avoiding his eyes and what she was afraid she would reveal.

"Are you alright?" His voice was gentle, almost tentative. It helped her recover her senses.

"Yeah. I just needed to tell someone who wouldn't judge me or try to 'fix' me." She smiled a little and wiped her wet cheeks.

"You're a strong woman, Tifa. The strongest I've ever met. You don't need to be 'fixed'." He picked up his gauntlet and began to fasten it in place over his left arm. The razor sharp talons gleamed in the afternoon sunlight that filled the room. "I need to talk to Shelke and it can't wait until she comes home. Will you accompany me?" He could tell that Tifa was grateful to have something else to think about.

"Sure. She works a few blocks away from here at one of WRO's satellite offices. I can take you there, and I have to stop by a store around the corner from that building anyways." She picked up her gloves and slipped then into a pocket of her long shorts while Vincent loaded and holstered his pistol. He followed Tifa downstairs and they both spotted Yuffie with her head resting on her folded arms, fast asleep on the bar's counter top.

They smirked in unison and left her there. Outside, Tifa muttered under her breath, "Peachy. Yeah, right."


	11. Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 11 – Unexpected Visitor**

Shelke's office building was a looming thirty story tower that had been recently renovated to house most of the administrative staff for the World Regenesis Organization while Headquarters was being rebuilt after the Deepground assault nearly burned it to the ground. It was a fairly new structure and stood out against the older offices and apartment buildings around it. Vincent mused that it wouldn't be difficult to target this building considering the gigantic "WRO" letters attached to the building's face just over the main entrance. Tifa halted him on the sidewalk in front of the two large glass doors.

"I need to stop by the drug store around the corner. You go on ahead and I'll see you in a little while unless you get done first. If you do, you can meet me there. It's the only drug store in the area so it shouldn't be hard to find. See you later, Vince."

She took off down the sidewalk without giving Vincent any chance to protest her going off by herself. He shook his head slowly and went inside. Foreboding gnawed at the pit of his stomach but he pushed it aside in favor of getting more important things done. The woman behind the front desk looked up from her computer screen and smiled blankly.

"Can I help you, sir?" She obviously wasn't part of the large portion of the WRO that remembered Vincent for his help in fighting Deepground a year ago. He found that comforting. He would gladly take anonymity over fame any day.

"I'm here to see Shelke Rui. Would you please let her know that she has a visitor?"

"Certainly. May I have your name, sir?"

He frowned behind his collar but provided her with his name anyways. "Vincent Valentine."

"Oh! You're _the_ Vincent Valentine?" The woman's eyes lit up. "I've heard so much about you from my colleagues! They said you were amazing during the assault. I wish I had been there to see it."

Vincent's upper lip twitched. If this woman had been there during the assault, she would most likely be dead. "It's urgent that I speak with Miss Rui." His icy tone sobered the receptionist instantly and she blushed profusely.

"Y-yes, sir. I'm sorry. She's on the twenty seventh floor; office 2705. Please go on up. I'll let her know you're coming right away."

He nodded his thanks and stepped into the nearest elevator, pushing the button for the appropriate floor. Naturally, the elevator doors took unnecessarily long to close. Vincent crossed his arms and leaned against the back wall as he waited for elevator to start moving. He could have sworn whoever built these things to run so slowly only did so to sadistically torture passengers with bad music. His mind wandered while it climbed at what seemed like a snail's pace.

Vincent was worried about letting Tifa run off on her own. Doubtless she could easily take care of herself but he wasn't sure if their common enemy was stalking them. If it was, the chances of it taking advantage of this opportunity were high. He could only hope that she was aware of that as well, and that his meeting with Shelke wouldn't take longer than a few minutes. Then he could get back to Tifa's side as soon as possible.

Vincent wondered whether his need to be near her was out of fear for her safety or if there was some other reason behind it. He found himself remembering their embrace and the emptiness inside of him flooded with the memory of her body against his. He had intended only to console her but her physical response had been unmistakable. She couldn't hide it just by looking away. Was it simply due to her emotional state at the time? He told himself that she would have responded that way to anyone in his position and it was only the altitude of the elevator that made his head spin when he thought about it.

The elevator's ding brought him out of his memories. He escaped its confines and moved through the office hallway like a blood red wraith, coming to a stop at Shelke's door. She called out to him before he could knock. She was getting pretty good at that.

"Come in Vincent."

He did just that and made sure to close the door solidly behind him, standing in front of her desk. She was sitting in an oversized office chair behind her desk dressed in a blue and grey business suit that matched the color scheme of her Deepground uniform. That particular color scheme had a way of bringing out the startlingly blue color of her eyes. Her small hands flew over the keyboard in front of her with expert efficiency and she kept her eyes on her computer screen when she spoke.

"I was informed that you had an urgent need to see me. Is something wrong?"

"Tifa and I were attacked last night. It seems that my dream was a message after all. There's something hunting us both now and I need to know if the information in that file relates to it."

Shelke's hands froze and her blue eyes lifted with concern. "So you came here to ask me to decrypt that file as soon as possible." She didn't need to ask if her two friends were alright. Obviously they were or Vincent would have mentioned otherwise. He nodded to her. "Very well. As I said before, it will take some time. If I attempt to access the mainframe's resources from here, it will delay the decryption process by at least an hour. However, I can go to Headquarters and ask Reeve to allow me to establish a direct SND link there if you need me to."

"I think that would be best. I appreciate you doing this, Shelke."

She smiled up at him from the depths of her chair. A nagging itch in the back of Vincent's mind insisted on distracting him and he frowned. He hadn't learned to survive by ignoring his intuition. "I have to go. Can I meet you at the WRO Headquarters in a little while?"

Shelke nodded. "I will call you if I don't see you before I finish the decryption. I can head over there as soon as I finish this report." She went back to her typing without another word, letting Vincent leave with a flutter of red.

That nagging feeling was now a blaring alarm in his mind and he smacked the elevator call button hard enough to crack the plastic. His intuition was screaming that something was terribly wrong and he wished he still had the use of wings. Ten floors down the elevator took its sweet time.


	12. Strike Two

**Chapter 12 – Strike Two**

Tifa waved at the store clerk as she stepped outside. She held a bag of various necessary products that needed restocking for the bar under one arm; a few bottles of cleaning solution, a new dish rag, and a bottle of bourbon that she felt would make a nice addition to the bar's already impressive collection. She was about to head back towards the WRO office building when she felt a presence behind her close enough to stir the fine hairs on the back of her neck with a breath.

She spun with her free hand raised in a fist only to find Vincent there. Her sharp exhale caused a random passerby to eye her curiously before moving on.

"Jeez, Vince. Don't creep up on me like that or I might accidentally break your jaw." She smiled to show that she was joking. She found it a little odd when he smiled back readily.

He extended his right elbow to her, those scarlet eyes practically glowing in the sunlight. "Walk with me?" They held her in his sights like a stalking predator. Had they always made her skin crawl this way?

Curious, she slipped her free arm through his and let him lead her in the opposite direction of the office building. "I guess you were able to talk to Shelke?"

"Yes," was the only reply to that remark. He was silent for a few minutes while he thought about something, and then pinned her down with his stare again. "Tifa, tell me what you know about me." He was strangely insistent, as if the answer was a matter of life or death.

_Now that's an odd request._ The way he said her name tripped a silent alarm in her mind. What was Vincent up to? That conversation must have been pretty interesting. "Um, alright. I have to admit that I don't know all that much. I know you harbored Chaos up until you defeated Omega and that all of that has something to do with the woman you loved, Lucrecia, and Professor Hojo. But you told Shelke that you settled your past and you're starting to move on. I remember you telling me last night that you're empty inside now."

She could feel him watching her every move and his eyes almost burned her skin with their intensity. She was starting to feel uncomfortable and wondered what he'd discussed with Shelke to make him act this way. "That's most of what I know aside from the obvious. I wish you would tell me more one of these days."

He smiled again and the expression looked wrong somehow. Vincent never smiled like that if he ever had at all, she was sure of it. "Did you know Professor Hojo?"

"Hojo? Not personally, no, but I was involved in both of the events surrounding his deaths. You were there Vincent, you should know that." A thought occurred to her. "Vincent, are you feeling alright? You're acting a little strange. Is Hojo involved in this somehow?"

"In more ways than you know."

She didn't have time to question him further because a shot rang out from somewhere behind them and he jerked forward, dropping to one knee. Panic tightened around Tifa's heart and she let her bag drop as she kneeled at his side.

"Vincent! Oh, gods…" Outrage filled her as she stood and faced their attacker, prepared to pummel the thing to death, except that what she saw standing ten feet behind her stopped her dead in her tracks. It was Vincent, his blood red eyes hard with the same fury she'd felt half a second ago. _What the hell is happening?_

"It isn't polite to shoot someone in the back." The Vincent next to her stood up slowly and turned to face his twin, that smile now twisted into a snarl. He pressed his hand over a small round wound in his shoulder where the bullet had passed through. Blood trickled down the front of his coat but the wound wasn't fatal, it had obviously been a warning shot. Tifa realized that the Vincent standing next to her was only an illusion. She started to back away but she was halted when his clawed left hand closed around her throat faster than she could blink.

At the same instant, a pistol appeared raised and pointed directly at the other Vincent. She could see that it was almost identical to the real Vincent's gun except that the metal was silvery and instead of the three heads of the Hound of Hell, the grotesque heads of three women adorned the triple barrels in black metalwork, their mouths open in silent cries of rage. A chain swung from the butt of the grip and fastened to it was a charm in the shape of three robed women standing together, their angry faces just as grotesque and gaping as those on the barrels, long hair flowing in unruly waves.

"Move, and your lover dies." He tightened his grip on her throat to show that he was deathly serious. Black spots floated in Tifa's vision and she had to focus in order to squeeze enough air through her constricted windpipe to stay conscious. She strained to hear the conversation through the pounding of blood in her ears. She kicked feebly but the lack of oxygen and the length of his arm turned it into a useless gesture.

"Who are you?" The real Vincent was careful to show no sign of reacting to Tifa's plight, or the fact that his doppelganger had just called her his lover.

The copy tilted his head behind an identical red collar. "You know who I am. Drop your weapon."

Vincent narrowed his eyes and stood his ground. "Answer my question."

The copy sighed. "The name I was given is Melios, but that isn't important. I am what you should have become. I am what will replace you when you give me what is now mine, by rights."

"I have nothing that belongs to you except a bullet."

Melios snarled inhumanly, the mockery of Vincent's face twisting in sudden anger. "I told you to drop your weapon. Or would you rather throw the girl's life away?" He tightened his grip on Tifa's neck even more and she winced, her breath cut off completely now. Vincent flicked his eyes to her briefly and focused on his copy again.

"Do what you wish. She means nothing to me." But he knew his glance had given him away. Melios laughed.

"I know you, Vincent. I know you more than you know _yourself_. I was created in your image after all. If this girl really meant nothing to you, you would already have shot at me." Melios' features went blank. "You have five seconds."

Vincent hesitated for four seconds before lowering his pistol and letting it fall to the ground. The sound of Tifa's breathing eased his mind but her body had gone limp. "What do you want from me?"

"The protomateria. If you let me take it, I'll let the girl live and make sure your death is painless."

"Why? It's useless now." This wasn't making any sense, although it did sound annoyingly familiar. Hearing those words spoken in a voice identical to his own grated on his nerves. Why was it always about that damned protomateria?

"Not useless, dormant. We both have the ability to reawaken it but only I was given the knowledge of how to do so. You have no use for it, so why not let me take it?"

"I've never been fond of the idea of death. By the way, I suggest you let your hostage go before you get killed."

Melios narrowed his eyes. "You're in no position to order me to do anything."

"He is not, but I am," came a female voice at his back, followed by a hiss and a low electric hum. Behind him, Shelke held one of her sabers inches from the back of the copy's head while the other was held ready to slice through the arm that held the unconscious Tifa. "If you try to hurt Tifa, I will remove your arm from your body. If you try to hurt Vincent, I will remove your head." Her voice was emotionless but her orange eyes could have burned holes into the back of the doppelganger's head.

Melios' face contorted and became something entirely inhuman, his red eyes glowing fiercely. He was wounded and outnumbered. Slowly he dropped his gun and holstered it while he released his hold on Tifa, letting her body fall haphazardly to the pavement. He hissed through clenched teeth.

"This isn't over."

Vincent smirked. "I've heard that one already."

The false Vincent's cloak shimmered and Shelke was forced to step back as it appeared to melt upwards and form leathery wings that matched those of Vincent's Chaos form. Melios was gone with a flap of those wings and a demonic snarl.

Vincent was at Tifa's side in half a heartbeat, his gun picked up and holstered on the way. Shelke disengaged her sabers and followed suit, kneeling to peel back one eyelid and check Tifa's pupil response. "She's unconscious but I do not think she has suffered any permanent damage." The relief in her voice told Vincent that she had been thinking of her sister just then. "Can you carry her home?" He nodded wordlessly.

Shelke picked up the bag Tifa had dropped earlier. "I should get to Headquarters as soon as I can. The possible importance of the information in that file just increased quite a bit. I will meet you back at 7th Heaven when I am finished." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Be careful."


	13. Old Friends and Decisions

**Chapter 13 – Old Friends and Decisions**

It took Shelke a good thirty minutes to walk to the WRO Headquarters. When she got there, Reeve was already in the front lobby chatting with the receptionist behind the large newly installed front desk there. She approached him and he greeted her with enthusiasm and surprise.

"Shelke! It's good to see you. It must be my lucky day, you just missed Vincent." He blinked in confusion when Shelke's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"Vincent was just here?"

"Yes, he walked in ten minutes ago and asked for access to our records of every event over the last four years or so. He said he was looking for something important. I thought that was odd but then, you know how he is. He just left."

Shelke frowned, pursing her lips thoughtfully. It was an expression Reeve was very familiar with.

"Shelke, tell me what's going on."

"I will but not here. Will you allow me to perform a direct SND with the mainframe? It's important."

"Sure. You really don't need to ask me. After what you've done for us, you have free reign here. I'll come with you and you can explain everything on the way."

Shelke followed Reeve as he headed for a special elevator leading down to the refrigerated basement that held the WRO's mainframe computer system. On the way, she filled him in on what she already knew.

"I am afraid that the man you saw shortly before I arrived was not really Vincent." Reeve's brows flew up at that. "Yesterday, Vincent came to me saying that he had received a message of sorts in a dream. That evening he and Tifa were attacked by what you saw and again at least fifteen minutes before it came here. Based on what I have already seen, this creature is very powerful, very fast, and very intelligent. By granting it access to the records stored here, it has undoubtedly obtained detailed knowledge about every event that happened over the last four years with the intent to use it against Vincent."

Reeve cursed softly while the elevator doors closed and pressed the button for the basement level. "If I had known…"

"There was no way you could have known. I have my suspicions about what this being is and if I am correct, you would have been infinitely better off cooperating with its demands anyways."

"What do you think it is?"

"I … I do not think I should speculate out loud until I have verified what I suspect is contained in the file I am about to decode."

"So that's why you're here. You think it has something to do with this thing that's causing trouble?"

"The file was created by Professor Hojo and Vincent believes that he is connected to this in some way. It was encrypted and accidentally uploaded into my memory when I was given information pertinent to my assignment as a member of the Tsviets. It may turn out to be nothing more than a grocery list but the fact that it was encrypted at all raises a red flag. Professor Hojo was not the type to keep secrets among his colleagues if he felt it would bring him recognition."

Reeve snorted. "You've got that right."

The elevator doors rolled open and they stepped out. Shelke paused just inside the hall and turned to Reeve. "This being is very dangerous, Reeve. If it returns, do not let it suspect that you know it is not the real Vincent. Will you please call my personal terminal if you see it again? You will know it is not the real Vincent if it shows up alone." Neither of them failed to catch the irony in that sentence.

"Absolutely. And don't worry about using any of our resources here, Shelke. Everything we can offer is at your disposal. Tell Vincent that he has my support as well when you see him." Reeve turned around to re-enter the elevator and left Shelke to work her magic in the bowels of the building.

**--**

_She was drowning. At least it felt that way. She couldn't breathe. Her throat closed in on itself against her will and refused to let her draw air into her burning lungs. Somewhere above her she saw a murky greenish light that she thought she'd seen somewhere before. It made her think of a friend she'd lost years ago and it seemed to be calling for her._

_She reached out but it was too far away. If only she could breathe, she would have the energy to swim up to it, but something heavy held her down. She tried to draw a breath once more but her throat only closed tighter. The pain in her chest felt like the very fires of hell had sprouted inside her lungs._

_She kicked her feet to dislodge whatever was wrapped around her ankles. It did no good. She stretched her arms toward that gentle green glow. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could will it to reach down and take her hands. She knew it was futile. As much as she wanted to go to that welcome light, she knew it was hopelessly out of reach._

_She bent and felt around her ankles while keeping her eyes on the light above, lest it abandon her to her cruel fate. Her chest felt like it was about to explode. She knew her time was running out. She only had a few precious seconds left to free herself. With gut wrenching regret she tore her eyes away from the green glow above and looked down at her feet._

_Below her, she saw that each of her ankles was grasped by a hand. One was a metal claw and the other was a bare hand of flesh. She thought she recognized them both and knew that they belonged to two different people, distinctly male. She only had the strength to pry one of them loose. Blackness began to close in on her and she thought it odd that she could sweat profusely under water. With her last desperate ounce of life, she made her choice._


	14. Barriers Raised

**Chapter 14 – Barriers Raised**

Tifa drew in a shuddering gasp and opened her eyes. It felt like she had been holding her breath for years. Late afternoon sunlight streamed into the room from a window and she saw that she was in her bedroom. Vincent was sitting on the bed next to her leaning over her with concern written plainly all over his face. It vanished the moment he caught her eyes focusing on him. He wasn't wearing his cloak so he couldn't hide the sudden flush of pink that rose to his cheeks and the way his long black hair fell down to frame his face made it all the more obvious.

It took her a few seconds to realize what he'd been doing and her shocked stare made him straighten and recoil with a snap. "You stopped breathing," was all he could say.

She pulled herself into a sitting position carefully and immediately regretted it when she felt the pounding in her head. Dizziness threatened to knock her out again but a hand grasped her shoulder to steady her against the waves of nausea. Eventually they passed and when she found her voice, it was pitifully weak.

"What … happened?"

"You blacked out while you were being held hostage. We almost lost you. Shelke showed up and forced the thing to retreat … for now."

"So I missed out on all the good parts." The fact that she hadn't lost her sense of humor was a good sign.

A smirk actually touched one corner of Vincent's mouth for half a second and then was gone. "You didn't miss much. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Mmm … I remember hearing 'she means nothing to me' and then a laugh. After that, nothing until a few minutes ago." She was careful to give no indication as to what she thought about what he'd said in trying to save her life. She could get around to that later when she had some of her strength back.

"Shelke stepped in not long after that. She had him at a disadvantage and he … _changed_ and fled after he let you go."

She stopped rubbing her temples long enough to peer at him through the corner of her eye. "Changed?"

"Yes. It's difficult to describe but it looked as though his cloak lifted and turned into wings. They were the same as those of Chaos." He was disturbed by what he had seen, Tifa could tell by the firm set of his lips and the nearly invisible clenching of a muscle along his jaw. She was surprised that she could pick up on his emotions at all, even after so many years. If only he didn't wear that damned cloak so often.

"You don't think that he's…" She couldn't bring herself to say "some kind of monster" in front of him. Vincent had considered himself one back when Chaos still lived inside of him. Maybe he still did. He shook his head.

"I don't know. I have no way of knowing what that thing is unless Shelke brings back something useful." His eyes had a peculiar hollow look and Tifa remembered what he'd said about being empty. She wondered if he regretted losing the demonic power he once had.

"Vincent … what did you mean when you said you were empty inside, the other night?" He flicked his gaze to her but couldn't hold it there for very long. Now it was his turn to let it all out and he knew it. He was painfully exposed but he had known this was coming. He hoped he didn't come to regret it. Vincent took a few moments to gather his thoughts before opening himself. It was surprisingly easy with Tifa.

"I have lived with my sin and my demons for over thirty years. As you already know, I won't age. I was expecting to live with one or both of those for the rest of my eternity. When I joined you four years ago, you all helped me realize that I had to accept what I was and learn to live with it. It was a strange feeling, having those demons inside my body and my mind, crawling under my skin. But having you and the others there gave me the strength to deal with it. I got used to having them there and I think, in the end, I enjoyed having that kind of power at my disposal, whether I could control it or not."

"Part of me had also gotten used to living with my sin and the pain of losing the one woman I thought I could ever love. I let it fill me until pain and regret were all I knew. A year ago, all of that changed. I was given the chance to atone for my sin and make peace with my past. In doing so, I defeated Omega and finally rid myself of the man who had destroyed my body and mind. My demons left me and returned to the planet and in the end I made peace with the woman who had saved my soul. Now, without pain and regret, and without the demons, I am empty."

"For the last year I've been searching for a reason to continue living and all the while I feel this dead weight in my chest as a reminder of what I've lost. I had become so consumed that I lived for nothing else and forgot what it felt like to be human." He finally let his eyes meet hers and although his face was blank, his eyes – those beautiful red eyes – swallowed her, drawing her in. "I'm lost, Tifa."

Tifa forgot all about the pain in her head. The man had changed so much over all these years. She saw the emptiness behind his eyes, the void in his heart, and she felt a strange falling sensation. In the back of her mind she registered her body leaning closer to him, pulled by the force of his stare, but she couldn't find a reason to stop herself. She wanted to fill that void for him and give him a reason to go on living again. She wanted to help him rediscover what it felt like to be human.

He must have leaned into her as well because she felt his breath warm against her lips only a hair's breadth away. She closed her eyes and felt him hesitate; fighting whatever barriers he had erected to prevent himself from letting something like this happen. It must have been one hell of a barrier because his hesitation lasted just long enough for a knock on the door to snap them both back to reality.

He recoiled as though bitten and her heart ached at the flash of raw hunger she caught before he forced the blank mask on once again. Tifa swore that whoever was at the door had better be either dying or have news that the world was coming to an end – or else she would drop kick them on the spot, headache or not. She changed her mind when Vincent opened the door and she saw that it was Shelke.

If there was any amount of awkwardness between the two of them, Shelke gave no indication that she caught it. She just strode right into the room and sat on the chair over by the window. Tifa and Vincent waited silently for her to speak. Neither of them wanted to break the fragile stillness between them. Doing so would mean that they would have to face what had almost occurred. Shelke unknowingly relieved them of that burden.

"I am afraid that I have some bad news. First, I can tell you that I was successful in decrypting the file and that it does relate to what we are dealing with. However, based on the information I found within, our situation is much worse than I feared."


	15. Puzzle Pieces

**Chapter 15 – Puzzle Pieces**

Vincent's brows came down. "Worse?"

"Yes. Let me explain. The file was a partial record of an experiment that Professor Hojo was working on in secret. I am not exactly sure why he kept this particular project a secret but due to the nature of the experiment, I suspect that he may have wanted to keep his wife, Lucrecia, from discovering it. That information is irrelevant, though."

"The experiment was partially based on the theories of Professor Hollander and his discoveries during the Genesis project, whose work Hojo has taken much of the groundwork for this project from. As you probably have already guessed, the experiment involved cloning. It appears that Hojo believed he could create the perfect synthesis of human and Chaos genes by manipulating Vincent's cloned cells. His hope was to create a superior host for Chaos that would eliminate his need for Vincent's cooperation in his eventual plans to become Omega's carrier. His intentions were to program the clone to instinctively obey his commands without question."

"Most of this information comes directly from the parts of the file that I have. What I do not have is a detailed description of the results of his tests. There are several footnotes that seem to indicate a lack of sufficient progress during a majority of his tests but without an official record there is no way to be certain how accurate those notes are."

Vincent had his arms crossed over his chest and was running over the information Shelke had given them in his head. His gaze was fixed on some invisible spot on the floor. When a question came to him, he raised his head.

"Does it mention anything about the clone needing the protomateria, or why?"

"Unfortunately, no. It seems that Hojo intended the clone to be self sufficient enough to no longer require the protomateria in order to control Chaos. Without the missing portion of the file, I can only guess that he was unable to obtain that level of efficiency."

Vincent shook his head. "I remember seeing that thing change. He seems to have control over Chaos in subtle ways that I could never hope to achieve. He must want the protomateria for some other reason. He said his name was Melios, does that mean anything to you?"

Shelke frowned. "No. but if Hojo gave the clone a name, we can be sure that means he is a final product. As to what he could want the protomateria for, I have no idea."

She thought for a moment but Tifa was the one to speak up. "Doesn't the protomateria help channel and amplify Chaos' power as well as allow you to control him?"

"Yes, it does." A hint of a smile pulled at the corners of Vincent's mouth. "That alone would be reason enough to want to possess it. But we still don't know what this clone's intentions are. Shelke, is there anything that might indicate what happened to the rest of that file? Was it destroyed?"

"I do not believe so. It may have become corrupted at some point. What remains in the file indicates that Hojo's hidden base of operations for this experiment was located in the mako reactor at Mount Nibel. He mentions that he felt as though it would be safe disguised among the other experiments going on there. It is possible that he kept a backup copy of the file at that location somewhere but it would not be easy to find in any case."

The thought of returning to Nibelheim made Vincent's skin crawl and Tifa felt sick to her stomach. Ultimately they had no choice. If the clone had indeed come from the reactor on Mount Nibel, then that was their best chance to find any missing information and finally get some answers to their questions. Vincent hoped it would give them some idea of how to beat this thing but he suspected that was only wishful thinking.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Every head in the room whipped around to face the door, in which Yuffie was standing with her hands on her hips. Everyone had been so wrapped up in their own gloomy thoughts that no one had seen or heard her enter the room. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle a yawn right as Tifa was the first to come out of shock.

"How long have you been-"

"Long enough to hear that we need to go to Mount Nibel to kick Mister Creepy's butt. Oh and next time Tif, don't just sit there like a lump." Yuffie's impish smile filled in the hidden meaning behind her last sentence and Tifa felt her cheeks go hot. Maybe there was more to her being a ninja than most people gave the girl credit for. Luckily that meaning remained between the two of them.

Vincent, excruciatingly aware that he lacked his coat to hide behind, wiped the scowl away that was threatening to creep onto his face. "No one said you were coming with us, Yuffie."

Yuffie rubbed the side of her nose with a finger and sniffled. "Of course I'm coming with you. You know what they say. 'Eight eyes are better than six.' Or maybe it was 'four pairs of eyes are better than three'. Well, whatever, you know what I mean. Besides, I already know what's going on so you don't even have to fill me in on what I missed." She gave the room the most winning smile she'd ever shown.

Tifa had to laugh. "We might as well take her. If we don't, she'll follow us anyways and at least if we know where she is, she can't get herself killed." She gave Yuffie her own dark grin and the girl giggled.

It was obvious that Shelke was indifferent and with Tifa on Yuffie's side, Vincent was now outnumbered. He only let out a "hmph" of defeat and let it go. "If we're going to Mount Nibel, I suggest we get some rest tonight and leave in the morning. It's going to be a long trip." He glared at Yuffie when she chimed in again.

"Not if we travel by airship."

"I am not getting anyone else involved." Vincent bit down on each word as if that would somehow force his decision to be final. He should have known better by now.

Yuffie smiled sweetly. "Umm, too late?"

"You didn't…" Tifa's voice was deadpan. Yuffie could only nod and look as innocent as possible.

Vincent had his face covered with his gauntleted hand but Tifa could see through the fingers that his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. "How much did you tell him?"

"Nothing other than that we'd need a ride some time soon. I swear!"

Tifa sighed. "You know he's going to want to know why and he won't take no for an answer."

Shelke had remained silent during the entire conversation since Yuffie had appeared. Now she decided to speak up. "I believe this can work to our advantage. From what I have learned, this Melios' knowledge of Vincent is very intimate but he seems to have almost no knowledge of those who are close to him except those he has already encountered. If we can stay ahead of his movements and prevent him from learning too much about us, we may be able to create a sufficient handicap to at least give us a chance."

Tifa brightened but Vincent had a skeptical gleam in his eye. He opened his mouth but Tifa rode right over what she was sure would have been a protest. "That's a great point, Shelke. Clones have to be programmed with whatever additional information they'll need aside from what comes directly from their own genetic material, right?" Shelke was clearly impressed at the extent of Tifa's knowledge and nodded. "If Melios was programmed by Hojo, then he probably won't even have any information on what happened in the world beyond the events of four years ago, after Hojo's first death."

"That is no longer the case." Shelke sighed and shook her head. "I spoke to Reeve before I decoded the file earlier this afternoon and he said that Vincent had arrived and left shortly before I showed up, which means that after we chased Melios away he went straight to the WRO Headquarters. Reeve told me that he had requested access to the WRO's records over the past four years. Not knowing any better, Reeve granted him access."

"Before I left Headquarters, though, I reviewed the log files. So far, Melios has only accessed records describing any major events that occurred from four years ago to the present day. We should consider ourselves extremely fortunate that those records contain only names and very general information about most of the people directly involved with Vincent in some way. This clone is intelligent but without the right pieces, he will not be able to see the bigger picture."

Tifa still looked hopeful. "So we still have an advantage, right?"

"Small as it may be, we do."

Vincent still wasn't completely convinced but he suddenly felt very tired. "We can continue this discussion tomorrow." Yuffie fidgeted over by the door. "On board the Shera." He bit back the half smile that plagued him when Yuffie bounced happily out the door to retire to her room. None of them had noticed just how late it was. The sky was already beginning to darken with the coming evening.

Shelke excused herself to retire as well and left Vincent and Tifa alone in the room. The tension between them had returned and neither one of them was willing to look the other in the eye. It stretched on like that for at least five minutes before Vincent picked up his discarded coat and headed for the door. Tifa felt the tension snap and she was freed from her paralysis to speak up as he placed a hand on the doorknob.

"Vincent, wait. I…"

Vincent didn't let her finish. He swung the door open as though she had said nothing. Before he stepped out, he spoke back to her over his shoulder, his voice almost gentle. She couldn't see his eyes at this angle behind the black veil of his hair. "Get some rest, Tifa. Things are only going to get worse from here on." Then he was gone.

There was no way he could have known how right he was.


	16. Dream Thievery

**Chapter 16 – Dream Thievery**

"_You hurt me. I trusted you." The pain in her eyes ripped into his heart; flayed him mercilessly. It reminded him of Lucrecia – beautiful Lucrecia. What had he done to make her hurt like this? It must have been something big but he couldn't remember anything about it._

"_I'm sorry, Tifa. Please forgive me."_

_Her eyes, dark and smoky, brimmed with tears. Each one that fell was a cold metal claw in his chest._

"_How could you do this to me? You killed him. I loved him, and you killed him before I could ever tell him."_

_Killed who? Certainly not Cloud, he could never kill Cloud. Not when he meant so much to her. Her head shook and her long hair swayed behind her back._

"_You betrayed us both. Did you care about us even one bit? You hide behind your cloak and your mask and everything about you is so cold. Do you care about anything at all?"_

"_Yes! I care. I care about-" You. But his lips refused to form the word. He could hear his teeth grinding. Something pushed against the inside of his chest as though his very heart desired to reach out to her._

"_Do you?" There was hope in her eyes and she came to him. His perspective shifted and it made him dizzy but that wasn't important. She was lying on top of him. How had he ended up on his back? His arms found their way around her of their own volition and her face hovered inches away from his. The closer she was, the stronger that strange pushing sensation felt._

"_Yes."_

"_I believe you." And she came close enough to his lips that he could feel her breath when she spoke. "There is a way you can make up for everything."_

_The feel of her body moving against his, the scent of her hair and perfume, everything about her intoxicated him. He no longer cared that the pushing sensation hurt terribly now. He would do anything for her. He would die for her._

"_Yes. Yes you will." She smiled, as though she'd read his mind. Her eyes were bleeding crimson tears to match their own color. Hadn't they been dark chocolate before? It didn't matter. If making her smile meant that he would have to die, so be it. He had sacrificed his own happiness once before, this time it would be no different._

"_You wanted penance once. Let me help you atone for your sins." Her voice was silk. His breath came in sharp gasps and he couldn't tell if it was from the pain in his chest or his body's reaction to the woman on top of him. She was so close but she denied him the final closing of distance._

"_Please … stop." His words couldn't come out as anything more than a feeble whisper._

_She laughed and he felt his chest explode. Her tears were no longer tears, they were blood._

**--**

"No!" Shelke gasped the word. Her guess had been terribly correct. She stood in the doorway of Vincent's room, rooted by fear. She switched her sabers on as a mockery of Vincent's appearance spun to face her, black locks swinging wildly around eyes that gleamed like ruby fire. "Get away from him."

Melios was hunched over Vincent as he lay on the bed in his room. In his left claw he held what looked like an empty sphere of clear glass, both the sphere and the metal gauntlet covered in blood. It was Vincent's blood. The clone laughed quietly and straightened.

"I could kill you both right now."

"Try it." Shelke knew Vincent was in trouble. He had suffered a wound like that before but he'd had help. She knew he could easily bleed to death.

Melios lifted the dormant protomateria in his claw. "Don't be hasty. I only came here for this. We have time and there's still quite a bit of work to be done. You and everyone responsible will have your chance to repent." He walked a few steps to stand at the window.

Shelke narrowed her orange eyes. "Responsible for what?" She kept her sabers ready and her shield charged in case the clone decided to shoot at her. She wanted to fight Melios but doing so would mean letting Vincent die.

"For the death of my father." The factual tone sounded out of place. His cloak shimmered and became the wings of Chaos again. His red eyes burned. "As I said, you have time. I must pay my respects before I carry out his last wishes. Then I'll come for you." There was a blur of movement that Shelke couldn't make out in the shadows on the room. A moment later, the clone was gone.

She didn't have time to think about the meaning of those words. She dashed to Vincent's side, setting her sabers on the floor, and felt her heart sink when she saw the fist sized hole just to the left of his heart. It wasn't particularly deep but it looked painful and he was losing blood at a frighteningly rapid pace. Shelke looked around frantically for anything she could use to cover the wound with.

All she could think of was the sheet Vincent was lying on. She yanked a corner out and used one of her sabers to slice a large piece off. The smell of burning cloth filled the room to join the smell of blood already permeating the air. It wouldn't do any good to leave his leather top on so she removed it, fighting the buckles with trembling fingers that were maddeningly small, and tossed its ruined remains to the floor. She pressed the wad of cloth to his chest and sliced off a long thin strip of bed sheet to wrap around his torso, which she tied tightly to hold the makeshift bandage in place.

The orange glow from her eyes helped her see what she was doing enough to be sure that it would staunch the flow of blood. Vincent's accelerated healing abilities would take care of the rest. He would still be out of it for a while but at least he would eventually pull through. She was afraid to wake him despite what she had discovered only minutes ago. She thought that he was too far into unconsciousness for his dreams to give that monster any useful information but there was no telling what else it could do to him in the confines of his own mind.

Shelke pulled the only chair in the room over to sit near Vincent's still form. She needed to talk to someone but the clock nearby told her it was just past midnight and it wouldn't be fair to wake someone up just to have them worry needlessly. She folded her hands in her lap and cursed herself for not telling them what she'd been suspecting earlier. It had almost cost Vincent his life and now they had lost their most important advantage in this fight. If Melios really did possess the knowledge to reactivate the protomateria, then they were all facing an enemy whose power had just grown ten fold.

She had to find some way to take her mind off of her concern. She decided to analyze what the clone had said before it left. In her mind she replayed his words. Was he on a mission of vengeance? Something about that didn't seem right. And he mentioned that they were responsible for the death of his father. She wasn't sure who the clone might be referring to. Vincent's father was Grimoire Valentine, a scientist who had worked with Lucrecia and given her key evidence for her thesis, but the only person responsible for his death had been Lucrecia and it had been an accident.

She shook her head and discarded that idea. Whoever Melios considered his father to be, that man had left behind wishes to be carried out. That was when it hit her. Hojo had been the clone's creator. Could that be who Melios considered his father? The thought of having something as powerful as a genetically enhanced clone of Vincent Valentine carrying out Hojo's wishes filled her with dread.

Shelke's glowing eyes came to rest on Vincent's face, peaceful despite the horrible wound he had suffered. He wanted to avoid involving anyone else in what was happening but she had a feeling that if they were going to have any chance of surviving, they would need all the help they could get.


	17. Accepting Loss

**Chapter 17 – Accepting Loss**

Shelke must have fallen asleep at some point because a movement and a low moan near where her head rested on her folded arms woke her with a start. Her sabers still hummed quietly on the floor near her feet and she reached down to turn them off, the orange glow fading away. On the bed, Vincent stirred and cracked his eyelids open.

The clock said it was now just after six thirty in the morning and dawn was well underway. Shelke peeked carefully under the bandage to check the progress of the healing and found only a large dimple of newly formed reddened skin. The ball of cloth was stiff and caked with dried blood so she decided it was safe to remove and dispose of it. Vincent watched her do so without saying a word.

Shelke realized that he was fully aware of what had happened. The defeat in his gaze made her sigh. She hoped he wasn't thinking of giving up. "How are you feeling"?

"Like I should be dead."

"I take it you do not need an explanation."

He let his head fall back against the pillow. "It's gone."

Shelke sat back and rested her hands on her knees. "I remembered what you said about your dream being a message so I had a theory that Melios might have some way of connecting with you through your dreams. When I heard sounds coming from your room, I knew I was right." Her eyes were fixed on her hands and guilt weighed her head down. "I should have said something to you."

"It wouldn't have made any difference and at least this way, no one else was around to get hurt when he showed up."

The way he said it caused Shelke to frown. "You knew he would come after you." Anger colored her words. Vincent nodded and she clenched her hands into small fists. "Did you think he would kill you and spare the rest of us?"

She sounded so obviously hurt by his admission that he had to sit up and stare at her in surprise. She rarely showed this kind of emotion and he felt compelled to listen. "Well you are mistaken, Vincent Valentine. I spoke to Melios before he left. He intends to serve the wishes of his father. Who do you think that is? You only need to guess once and I can assure you that you are not the only person his father has any 'last wishes' for."

"He told you that?"

"Not in those exact words but what he did say was clear enough to make me certain of that much."

"Shelke, I don't know what I can possibly do against this. My clone is stronger, faster, and more cunning than any one thing I've ever seen before. He's getting smarter every day, and now he has the protomateria too. I might have had a chance if I had Chaos on my side but even that has been taken away from me." He didn't sound hopeless, only frustrated. It was a measure of how unnerved he was that he wasn't hiding it.

_Still acting like a lost child, Vincent? I thought you had grown out of that._

It was clear to Shelke that he would never just give up, at least not when friends he felt he needed to protect were in danger. He was honestly searching for answers but she had none to give. All she could do was help him see what he had left.

"You may have lost Chaos and the key to his power, but you have not lost your friends. That is one thing this monster will never have." Her clear blue eyes held him long enough to show him that he had her support no matter what happened. "You showed me once that real strength comes from not being alone. Have you forgotten that already?"

They were interrupted when Tifa appeared in Vincent's doorway with a phone in one hand and a yawn hidden behind the other.

"There you are, Shelke. Your phone was ringing. It must be important because I got sick of trying to sleep through it after whoever it was called back for the third time."

"Reeve. I told him to call me if the clone came back. He must have tried to access more information. Excuse me." She got up and left the room to return the call.

Tifa plopped down in the vacant seat and crossed her legs. She was wearing a pair of blue boxer shorts that probably belonged to Cloud and a white tank top that ended two inches above her naval. The smell of clean feminine sweat tickled Vincent's nose and a memory from a dream flashed into his mind, making his head spin. He closed his eyes against the vertigo.

"Gods, Vince, what happened to your … oh, no."

He opened his eyes again to see her looking at his healing wound with terrified understanding. He was careful to keep his face blank. Would she be hurt by not being woken up to help him? Would she ask him questions about what this would mean for all of them now that the protomateria was gone? Would she be angry that he had walked out on her last night? She did something completely different.

She smirked a little and said, "I shouldn't have let you leave."

Vincent blinked. Her words made no sense to him at all. Did she think that by having him in her bed all night, it would have prevented what occurred? Did she think that the two of them would have had enough strength to defeat their enemy? Did she really just admit to wanting him in her bed? His brain went in ten different directions at once and all he could do was shake his head. He could think of no way to respond to that.

She gave him a soft grin. Tifa was through with being bleak. "Just one more challenge to overcome." Her hand found its way to his and squeezed it. She would have strength enough for both of them, whether he accepted that or not. It made her that much more resolved when he didn't pull his hand away.

_I'll fight for you, Vincent, even if you can't fight for yourself._

Shelke came back into the room just then with so much energy radiating from her that she almost glowed. She was smiling fully, a rare sight. Vincent and Tifa both wondered what Reeve had told her to bring out that smile. They didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Reeve just bought us enough time that we may be able to beat this. He said that Melios came to Headquarters this morning asking to see the WRO's records on the Northern Cave crater and Hojo's history surrounding the Jenova project. It seems that the clone has no information on any of that; whether Hojo forgot to provide him with it or did not feel it was necessary for his ultimate purpose I cannot say."

Vincent frowned. "How does that buy us time?"

"Melios did not get the information he was after, at least not the _correct_ information. Reeve pulled off a little 'creative' data corruption overnight. If we are lucky, Melios will be headed in the wrong direction and by the time he realizes this, we will have already been to the Nibel reactor and hopefully learned enough about our enemy to come up with a plan." Then she paused with a puzzled look. "Reeve also wanted me to tell you that he has a spare rocket launcher 'lying around' in case you need it."

Vincent had to grin inwardly. Reeve was clever, he would have to remember to thank the man next time he visited Headquarters. He pushed himself off the bed, renewed by the energy and resolve of the two women in the room with him. "Let's hope my clone can't fly as fast as an airship."


	18. Needing A Lift

**Chapter 18 – Needing a Lift**

"Alright, someone better tell me why the hell you dragged me all the way out here before I crack some heads." Cid came stomping down the lowered ramp of the Shera's docking bay growling around the cigarette in his mouth. The huge airship loomed over them from its perch on one of Edge's landing pads near the outskirts of town. Yuffie dashed over and met him half way from where the others were standing. She hit him with a hug so hard the man almost toppled over backwards. "Dammit, girl, get off me 'fore you break somethin'," he feigned annoyance, grinning anyways.

"Cid! You missed me, how sweet." Yuffie pecked a kiss on his cheek and stepped aside before he could shove her off.

"Yeah, whatever." Cid closed the rest of the distance and clapped Vincent on the shoulder. "Vince! Been a while, ol' buddy. This better not be another one'a your save-the-world things. My poor Shera got pretty banged up last time. That kinda shit's expensive to repair. One of these days I might decide you owe me somethin'." He laughed to show that he was joking and didn't bother to wait for a reply.

"Tifa, Shelke, good to see you ladies. Where're we headed?"

"We need to get to Mount Nibel as fast as you can take us there," Tifa said as she hugged Cid.

"Damn. That's half way across the fuckin' world, Tif. Of course I'll take you, but why there?" He took a long drag and his cigarette glowed. Vincent was the one who answered him.

"We don't have time to explain it now. I'll tell you on the way." Both Tifa and Shelke turned their heads to him, surprised. Vincent had been so insistent over the last few days that they should let no one else find out about their situation. He was either lying through his teeth or he'd had quite an unexpected change of heart.

Cid eyed him thoughtfully as he scratched at the blonde stubble on his chin, and then shrugged. "Well let's get movin' then." With that, he flicked the remainder of his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his boot. The others followed him aboard.

"You each can take whatever room ain't already taken. You know where to go if ya need anythin'. I'll be up on deck. Vince," Cid shoved a finger into Vincent's chest and he winced ever so slightly, "I expect an explanation after you get settled in, got it?" His tone left no room for argument.

Vincent nodded and Cid left them to get the Shera into the air. Yuffie had wandered off somewhere, probably to get herself into trouble poking around in places she shouldn't be. Shelke thought it was the right moment to bring up her suggestion regarding Vincent's dreams. She cleared her throat and the other two gave her their attention.

"Vincent. There is something I would like to request from you. I … am afraid it may be asking too much but I feel it's very important. I would not ask this of you otherwise." He waited patiently for her to continue. "Our enemy seems to have some sort of link to you through your dreams, as you may already have guessed. I am not sure how much power it has over you through those means but at the very least it has the ability to locate you. I think it would be best if you did not sleep at least for the next few days."

"I think I can manage that, Shelke, if you think it will help."

"I know it's a lot to ask. If you wish, I can assign a rotation to the rest of us to stay awake with you and make sure you do not fall asleep. I have a few potions that may help as well but you should not take more than one each night and only if necessary."

"I'll stay up with you," Tifa broke in.

Vincent's eyebrows drew down. "I can't ask you to do that, Tifa."

"You didn't ask, and it wasn't a suggestion."

"What if you get tired before I do?"

"Then you'll just have to find a way to wake me up." The twinkle in her brown eyes made it sound like a challenge.

Shelke broke in. "Thank you, Tifa. If you need to get some rest at any point, do not be afraid to wake me up." She handed a brown paper bag to Vincent and he accepted it without checking its contents. "Keep those on hand just in case." Then she went off the find a suitable room for the trip.

Tifa placed a hand on Vincent's arm. "Cid's waiting. I'll see you tonight, okay?" She turned and disappeared around a bend in the corridor before he could say anything.

After adjusting to the motions of being on board the airship again, Vincent picked out a vacant cabin closest to the deck where he figured he would spend much of his time at night. He set the bag of potions on the floor just under the edge of the bunk and found it peculiar that he was actually worried about not being able to stay awake.

He had spent most of the last year unable to find enough peace of mind to sleep longer than a few hours every other night but the events of the last few days had worn him down. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the oblivion of slumber but Shelke was right. It was too much of a risk knowing that he was linked to the creature that hunted them. Even his dreams were dangerous now.

Visions of the dream he had last night came back to him. It had been so real that even just recalling Tifa's scent and the way her body felt, it was as though she were really there. He shuddered and pushed the thought of her out of his mind. That fiend had used his memory of her against him and he hated the way it struck chords in him that he believed had died decades ago. That she would be spending the night with him only made things worse.

What if she caught on to the way she affected him? Would she reciprocate? Would she be afraid of him or turn away in disgust? Wasn't it just yesterday afternoon when they had almost lost themselves to a moment of passion? He didn't think it was anything more than the heightened level of emotion and her pity for his state of being that almost drove her to kiss him. He refused to believe that it was anything more than that and he scolded himself for the brief vulnerability that had allowed that moment to occur.

Tifa knew more about him than any other woman except for Shelke. The fact that he no longer had his inner demons to worry about didn't make him any less of a monster deep down. Surely she knew that. She couldn't possibly want anything more than friendship from a tortured soul like his. He convinced himself so completely of this that he no longer had to hide from the fear of what he might feel if she actually did. She would come to him tonight as a friend concerned simply for his well being, nothing more.

"Wake up, Vince, or you'll day dream yourself right through a fuckin' window and get us all killed." His wandering thoughts had brought him up on deck without even noticing until Cid barked at him.

"Hmph, sorry."

"Yeah, no prob. You gonna tell me what the hell's goin' on or what?"

Vincent watched the clouds drift by the huge sectioned window that domed over the deck as he thought about where to start. The graceful neck of the ship's upper bow swept forth above and ahead of the deck like that of some giant bird carrying them through the sky. The deck was empty except for the two of them. Vincent supposed that Cid had excused whatever other personnel were usually in the other seats so that their conversation would be private. Or perhaps Cid simply enjoyed flying the ship alone, not that anyone could blame him.

"Two days ago Tifa and I were attacked by something that called himself Melios. He was looking for the protomateria that I once used to control Chaos. So far he has almost killed Tifa once and me twice; during the second attack he managed to steal the protomateria from my body. Based on what we know about him so far and what Shelke has been able to uncover, this thing is a clone created by Hojo for the purpose of replacing me with a willing and superior host for Chaos. To what ultimate end, I don't know, but I'm sure it had something to do with his plans to use the Omega weapon."

"We're headed to the reactor on Mount Nibel to try to find more information about what we're up against and what this thing's real intentions are. Melios is … superior to me in almost every way, including his abilities to mutate into Chaos in partial and subtle ways that I didn't even think were possible. He also claimed to be able to reactivate the protomateria, which will make him that much stronger." Vincent half grinned behind his collar. "It's ironic that Hojo isn't around to see how successful his experiment turned out to be."

"Shit." Cid grimaced. "Why do we have to put up with another fuckin' monster trying to destroy the world 'cause of some shit that bastard Hojo pulled? When is that guy gonna give it a damn rest? Didn't we already kill him twice?" Cid's fingers twitched on the wheel of the ship, wanting to pull another cigarette out of the pack shoved under the strap of his goggles.

"This time it could very well mean the end of us all. You don't have to join us on this one, Cid." He knew the pilot wouldn't be able to refuse but he had to make the offer anyways, for the sake of his own conscience.

"I'm not about to let you go runnin' off on some shit like this all by yourself. You might be pretty damn tough but you sure as hell can't _fly_ yourself and those girls to wherever you need to go. 'Sides, ain't like I got anythin' better to do."

That was a blatant lie. Cid had a loving wife waiting for him in Rocket Town, but Vincent didn't bother mentioning that. "How long will it take us to reach the Nibel area?"

"By some time tomorrow dependin' on the weather, but don't you worry about that. My Shera'll get us there in one piece." Cid met Vincent's eyes for a few seconds and they nodded to each other. "Get some rest, Vince, and get your ass over to cabin 34 when you get around to it."

Curious, Vincent left the deck and moved through the belly of the ship until he found the door to cabin 34. He heard a high pitched female voice behind the paneled wood and recognized it as Yuffie's. She was talking to someone but he couldn't make out what she was saying and he had no idea who else might be in there with her. He waited for her to cut off before knocking.

Yuffie opened the door as he thought she would but the person sitting on the bunk was completely unexpected. A head covered in blonde locks that stuck out in unmistakable spikes turned to greet him.

"Cloud."

"Vincent."

Silence filled the small room and Yuffie shifted nervously before deciding to retreat. "I, uh, have some unpacking to do. See you guys later." She fled from the room and the sound of the cabin door shutting behind her shattered the stillness. Vincent leaned back against the door and cross his arms, letting his cloak swallow him.

"It's been a while, Cloud."

"Yeah, it has. I heard you ran into some trouble. From what Yuffie told me, it sounds pretty serious." Those piercing blue eyes brought back memories when they fixed on him.

Vincent noticed Cloud's sword leaning against the wall in a corner of the room. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I wasn't expecting to get picked up, but I think I still owe you one so when I got Cid's message I figured I'd tag along."

Vincent felt awkward having Cloud on board the ship after the thoughts he'd entertained earlier regarding Tifa. He wondered if she was aware that Cloud was here. There was no telling how she would react regardless of how she really felt about him now. He suddenly thought that Tifa spending the night with him would be a very bad idea.

Still, he found Cloud's help to be a comfort and there was no refusing him at this point. He had nothing against the boy – no, Cloud was a man now – and his skill with that massive blade would be one of their greatest assets.

"How much did Yuffie already tell you?"

Cloud seemed to register the acceptance in Vincent's voice and Vincent saw a release of tension he hadn't noticed before. "Not much, just that you're being chased by some monster that wants you and Tifa dead."

"Not just me and Tifa, everyone that he thinks I know." Vincent gave Cloud the same explanation he'd given Cid earlier. Cloud took in the information with growing concern. When Vincent finished, Cloud leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and frowned at the floor.

"I thought we were finished with Hojo. I guess I was wrong."

"Mm."

"How long till we get to Mount Nibel?"

"Cid told me we would be there some time tomorrow."

Cloud nodded and stood up. "I have to do some work on Fenrir. I'll see you around."

Vincent followed Cloud out and watched him until he vanished around a corner. He didn't doubt that Cloud would stop by Tifa's cabin on the way. Part of Vincent wanted to follow the other man and listen in, but whatever was said between them wasn't any of his business. Instead, he headed back to his cabin, needing solitude more than ever before. He was sure he'd get plenty of it tonight as well.


	19. Barriers Broken

A/N: This chapter earns its M rating. If you don't care for this sort of thing, you might want to skip this one.

--

**Chapter 19 – Barriers Broken**

The hum of the airship's engines filled Vincent's cabin as evening closed in on him. Shelke had found him on his way to his room and the two of them had spent most of the day brainstorming over what they already knew about their enemy. At some point Yuffie had tracked them down and listened in until they all were called to dinner by Cid over the ship's PA system.

They had all gathered in the mess hall along with most of the crew and it had started to feel like old times up until Vincent noticed the way Tifa was behaving with Cloud. He told himself that he wasn't jealous of the way she joked with him and leaned against his side while they talked about their past adventures. It did no good. The more he tried to ignore it, the more it irked him. Hadn't she said just yesterday that she no longer cared about him? Eventually they had all decided to go their separate ways for the night and he couldn't wait around to watch Tifa follow Cloud to his room.

He threw his cloak off and forced himself to lie back on his bunk. It was better to blank his mind rather than imagine what might be going on in that cabin right now. The last time he had ever felt any sort of jealousy was over thirty years ago. He thought he had learned to block those feelings out by now. Yet, here he was feeling emotions that were supposed to be dead, over a woman who would never be his. He itched to let the metal claws on his left hand sink into something soft. Tifa had been causing that reaction more and more lately. If he wasn't careful, he would leave himself open to a world of pain all over again.

A quiet knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He tried to ignore it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at just that moment. When it sounded again, he almost snarled and stood up to throw the door open. Tifa blinked at him from the other side.

"Shouldn't you be with Cloud right now?" He knew his voice held a cold edge and that his words stung her but he didn't care at this point. _Have you come to tell me you're spending the night with him instead?_

"Vincent? What's wrong?" His blood red eyes were like ice and she took a step back. "I said I'd come keep you company, didn't I?"

"I don't need company. I'll be fine alone tonight." He attempted to shut the door but the toe of her shoe stopped it.

"Hold on. You can't just shut me out without at least telling me why."

Vincent closed his eyes and forced himself to appear and sound neutral. This wasn't like him at all. He would never have let himself crack like this a year ago. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Is that what you think this is? A babysitting job?" The anger in her voice lashed out at him and he dropped his grip on the door. She used that moment to slip into the room and slam the door behind her, effectively securing her position with the click of the lock. "That's bullshit Vincent. What is this really about?"

Vincent sat down on his bunk and refused to look at her. He wished he hadn't taken his cloak off, she had learned to read the subtleties of his expressions far too well. As if to prove that, she sat beside him on the bed with a sigh and hit the nail right on the head.

"This is about Cloud being here, isn't it?"

Vincent curled his gauntleted hand into a fist and said nothing. The sharp points of the talons pricked his palm through the leather that covered it. The pain was a welcome distraction.

"You have no reason to be jealous, Vincent. I told you, Cloud and I are friends now and nothing more. Besides, there's someone else I'd rather be spending my evenings with these days."

"I'm not-" Her words broke through the fog that seemed to be clouding his mind and he turned to face her, unaware that his confusion was obvious. "What?"

"I didn't offer to stay with you tonight because I had to. I _wanted_ to spend time with a close friend who I care about very much." She was smiling her gentle smile again. "Haven't you learned to trust me after all these years?"

_With a friend, nothing more. _He had to remind himself of the reality of what he was to her. His eyes dropped and his voice was barely above a cold whisper. "I'm sorry, Tifa. It isn't my place to step into my friends' private lives. It won't happen again."

"Sure it is. You care about me, right? You're afraid I'll get hurt." She unfastened his gauntlet and the glove over his right hand as she spoke and pulled them both off. Vincent watched her without completely registering what she was doing. He couldn't bring himself to see it as anything more than a platonic gesture. He even ignored it when she unraveled the strip of cloth that kept his long hair in check, black locks spilling freely over his shoulders and around his face.

"Yes, but I have no right to tell you who you should or shouldn't give your heart to." His mask of indifference was back in place.

"Good, I'm glad you realize that." Before he had a chance to feel the sting of her words, her hand came up and pulled his face around so that he had to look her in the eye. He didn't have the will to stop her. "I suppose, then, that you can't tell me not to do this."

He had half a second of confusion before Tifa closed the space between them and pressed her lips against his. The shock made his entire body rigid for a moment but she hadn't given him enough warning to allow him to erect barriers against this. Something primal that had been lurking in the back of his mind and waiting for this moment took over. He closed his eyes and lost control, returning her kiss with a fervor that made her gasp against his mouth.

Just when she thought she'd broken down the wall, he tore himself away from her and squeezed his eyes shut. The muscles along his jaw clenched as he fought to regain his composure. Thirty four years of denial wouldn't be so easy to set aside and Tifa suddenly understood that although Vincent was one of the most mature and introspective men she'd ever known, part of him still held the innocence of a lost child. _He_ was the one afraid of getting hurt; she could see it as clear as if it had been written across his forehead. It made her want to fill his emptiness all that much more.

"I can give my heart to whoever I want to, Vincent." She forced him to look at her again, dark eyes pleading. "I won't hurt you." What she said slowly worked its way into his mind and when Tifa kissed him again, he didn't break away. He accepted her offer by letting his walls fall away and when she placed her hand along his inner thigh, his enthusiasm returned. He elicited a wordless, animal sound and almost bit down on her lower lip when her hand explored private and extremely sensitive places. With a reaction like that, she was curious to see just how far she could push him.

Vincent brought his hands around her waist and pulled her over so that she straddled his lap while she wrapped one arm around his neck and used her other one to guide his hand along her thigh, lifting the edge of the skirt she'd decided to wear that day. His hand found nothing underneath and he responded with a low growl that vibrated against her lips. She broke away long enough to see a familiar hunger in his crimson eyes before he pulled her to him again, taking her lower lip between his teeth and sucking on it.

He was well beyond rational thought and judging by the potency of his arousal, he didn't seem to mind. Somewhere inside of him she had opened a floodgate that had been held back for a very long time. This was going a lot further than she had expected it to. She had even half expected him to reject her advances completely. She was suddenly very glad that she had decided to continue her birth control regime six months ago.

She let her hands find the buckles of his shirt and peel it off to toss it carelessly to the floor. The scent of leather, metal, and gun powder – a scent entirely unique to Vincent – assaulted her senses, drawing a visceral response from her body. Vincent's hands slid up to lift her skirt, t-shirt, and bra over her head all at once and they joined his shirt on the floor. He gave her a moment to breathe again so that he could lean back against the wall and admire her. She decided to do the same for him.

Without his shirt on, Tifa could see every line and muscle of his upper body and now that she had a clear view she realized that lean wasn't the right word. He was built for efficiency and fluidity, not for raw power. Everything about him was subtle and well defined, even down to the small round scare in the middle of his stomach. She had always thought him to be beautiful but seeing him so exposed gave her an even stronger appreciation of that. He had his eyes closed as though he expected this to be a dream that he would suddenly wake up from. She couldn't help brushing aside a lock of black hair to stroke his cheek with her fingers.

He turned his face into her touch and let her fingertips trail over his lips. His eyes snapped open when she moved against his hips. _That got your attention, didn't it?_ The heat of his stare struck her like lightning and her body ached with her need to feel him inside of her. She scooted off his lap to stand, hooking her hands behind the front of his pants to pull him up. He obeyed her without hesitation and was rewarded by the taste of her lips as she unfastened the buckles, letting his pants fall so he could step out of them. Being completely exposed to her must have brought Vincent's senses back at least enough to regain his ability to speak. His voice against her mouth was a low purr that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Tifa … why are you … why me?" He was struggling to form an intelligible sentence.

She pulled back so she could answer. "I don't know. It feels right." It was the truth and she hoped he would accept it. She didn't have a rational answer for herself, much less for him, and now was not the time to try to find one.

She saw his mind surface long enough to take in what she'd said and for a moment she was afraid that he would back away. But her honesty seemed to hit home and when he fell back, he took her with him. She found herself straddling his lap once again and she ground her hips against him to signal her need. He was more than happy to oblige. With one lithe movement he laid her back onto the bed and positioned himself over her.

There was brief pause while he met her eyes, searching for some sign that this wasn't what she wanted, but he found only desire. He reached down and almost delicately guided himself into her. She drew in a breath and arched her back to welcome him, hands sliding up along the length of his spine to feel the muscles of his back tense up. He let himself enjoy the feel of her warmth around him until her voice caressed his ear with a soft exhale.

"Vincent, please…" It chased away whatever shred of reserve remained and he began to move inside her. The pounding of his heart matched his rhythm and for a while, he lost himself in their shared movements and the feel of her hands as they explored his bare skin. His lips explored her neck and ear, his teeth occasionally closing over sensitive areas. Soon, her breath began to quicken and the muscles of her thighs tightened around his hips.

Knowing what was coming brought him dangerously close to the edge but he held back until he felt her entire body shudder and she drove her nails into his back, crying out. The sudden pain shattered his self control and the force of his release washed over him, threatening to drown them both. Some residual demonic nature of his subconscious found a way out in the form of a growl as he rode the waves of ecstasy. When they were both spent, he held himself over her long enough to burn the feel of her skin and the satisfied look in her beautiful dark eyes into his memory. No dream would ever come close to this again.

It took a long minute before Vincent finally felt like himself enough to think straight. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him. They both lay there trying to catch their breath and Vincent felt sleep nagging at his brain as he stared at the ceiling of his cabin.

"This may not have been the best idea to keep me awake," he murmured against the top of her head. Tifa laughed breathlessly, lifting her head enough to nuzzle his neck.

Her long dark hair spilled over Vincent's upper body like a cool mist and he thought he wouldn't mind having the chance to feel that every night. In fact, he thought he wouldn't mind a little more than just that. For the first time since Chaos left him, he didn't feel so empty inside, but the fear of accepting that he cared for Tifa was replaced by the fear of losing her to the threat they both still faced. She must have felt the tiny tremble that shook him because she propped herself up and watched him, concern heavy in her chocolate eyes.

He closed his lids and answered her unspoken question with a whisper. "I don't want to lose you."

"What makes you think you even have me to begin with?" That snapped him out of his mood and his brows flew up as he looked down at her. He relaxed again when he saw that she was kidding.

"That's not fair, Tifa."

"Hey, I'm not about to let you worry about me. I can take care of myself." And she was right. If he should be worrying about anyone, it should be himself. He hated being reminded of that but he had to face the truth. He couldn't protect anyone else if he couldn't even protect himself.

Tifa sensed his disquiet and leaned down to kiss his jaw. "I won't leave your side, no matter how bad things get."

She would have said the same for any of her friends but the devotion behind that one sentence gave it a level of meaning meant solely for him. He knew without a shred of doubt that she would die either for him or with him if it came down to that, and she would do it because she loved him.

_Because she loves me?_ Impossible. A few hours ago he'd been sure that she saw him as nothing more than an old friend. Now she was swearing with undeniable affection that she would stand by his side even in the face of certain death, for reasons stronger than simple friendship. He told himself that what he'd heard must have been residual emotion from what they had just done. He knew that such activities could bring out emotions that were easy to misinterpret. Most of his life had been the result of misinterpreted feelings.

He noticed that she was waiting for some response but he had no idea what to say to something like that. All he could do was return her kiss. She accepted it eagerly and relaxed against him. She was obviously tired and he had enough to think about now that he was in no danger of drifting off so he pulled the covers out from under them and settled them over their entangled bodies.

"Tifa, you should get some rest. I won't have any trouble staying awake with you here." She didn't argue and after a few minutes, her breathing slowed and deepened and he was left to the mercy of his own thoughts.


	20. Wake Up Call

**Chapter 20 – Wake Up Call**

Melios knew he'd been deceived the moment he came close enough to the coordinates he was given to see the jagged rim of the Northern Cave crater rise above the horizon and found nothing but a small island. He snarled against the thin night air that whipped past his face as he came to a halt. Below him, open ocean stretched out in all directions lit only by the gleam of the half moon. There was no mistaking it, he was in the wrong area altogether.

That Reeve person must have done something to send him off his mark. If he wasn't in such a hurry, Melios would gladly take the time to return to Edge and show the man the color of his own innards. He would have to settle for doing that later. He pumped his wings to keep him in the air as he considered his predicament.

He recalled the map he drew up on the terminal in the WRO Headquarters that morning. He was somewhere close to the northern edge on the east side of the map but the topography was all wrong. He remembered passing over several thin islands in a chain not long after leaving the Midgar continent. If he corrected the map's information judging by the location of those islands that would put the real location of the crater on the opposite side of the world.

_Dammit._

It would take at least two days to get there regardless of which direction he flew. It was a setback he couldn't afford right now. His prey was moving against him, he could tell by the echoes of Vincent's emotions in the back of his mind. By the way they were muddled, the man wasn't asleep, and so trying to make contact with his prey to find out what he was up to would be pointless.

The small trickle of shared emotions that came through the connection made him edgy and restless. Melios didn't understand these foreign feelings that were building. Some part of his biology answered those feelings and made every muscle hum with tension. The more he focused on it, the more it dug into his brain. He clutched his head and fought to block out the wordless whispers. When he felt like he couldn't possibly stand it anymore, a shred of Chaos roared from somewhere deep inside and the demonic sound tore out of his throat.

The feeling vanished as the echoes of that roar pounded in his ears. Then the link was silent. But it was the silence of introspection, not of sleep. He had no idea what had just happened, there was nothing in his preprogrammed experience that came anywhere near to what he'd felt. Had his prey been attacked by something and nearly killed? Melios frowned at that thought. If anyone should have the right to kill Vincent, it should be him.

Either way, he was sure his prey still lived. Once he found his way to the crater and hunted down a few remaining Jenova cells, he would be able to make use of the sleeping sphere lodged in his flesh next to his heart. Then he would be able to do as his father commanded him in his last will and testament. He could no longer serve the purpose that his father had originally created him for but at least he could follow through on bringing justice to those who had a hand in his deaths.

He turned east and felt the winds fill his wings to carry him to his new destination, caressing the grip of the pistol at his side. Let Fury sing her sweet lament of retribution against those who had wronged him.

**--**

_Click._

Tifa stirred.

_Whir. Scritch, scritch, scritch._

The sounds tickled her brain. They were coming from something metallic near where she lay. She didn't want to open her eyes, the bed was too warm and soft and she'd had such a long day yesterday.

_Scritch, scritch, scritch._

She was facing a wall and the sounds bounced against it, made louder by the acoustics of the small cabin. She was disoriented and rolled over to turn off whatever was making the offending noise. Her hand reached for the body that she thought should be lying next to her but the space was empty.

_Snap._

She blinked her eyes open, panic sending a surge of adrenaline through her veins, but she calmed when she saw Vincent sitting with his back to her at the far end of the bunk. He spoke to her without taking his eyes away from his pistol, which he was in the process of cleaning and inspecting.

"Good morning, Tifa."

"Mmm. What time is it?" There was no clock readily apparent in the room. She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand to clear the sleep from them, bare shoulders drenched in a waterfall of dark strands. Vincent must have showered recently because his wet hair hung down his back and over his face, and he was wearing a fresh set of black leather, currently without his cloak or gauntlet. She recalled Yuffie joking about his wardrobe's lack of creativity and grinned inwardly. Only Vincent could make an outfit like that look delicious.

_Maybe if I tell him how good his butt looks in those pants, he'll stop wearing his cloak. Then again, he might never take it off just for that reason._

Tifa sat up and scooted behind him so she could slip her arms around his waist and rest her chin on his shoulder to watch him handle his weapon. She thought she would never get tired of the way he smelled. He paused long enough that she though he was about to turn his face to her but he seemed to think better of it and continued his work. His fingers were operating the trigger and three corresponding hammer mechanisms while he visually checked the alignment of the triple barrels with their respective bullet chambers.

"It's almost nine. Cid called us over the PA and said we had twenty minutes to 'get our asses in gear' and meet for breakfast in the mess hall. That was five minutes ago."

"Shit! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked peaceful. I didn't want to disturb you." Of course he would be back to his old detached self.

Tifa looked around frantically and found her discarded clothes lying in a small pile at the foot of the bed. She threw them on hurriedly. "Everyone's probably wondering where I am."

"They know you volunteered to keep me company overnight. What else would they be wondering about?" He had turned his head to watch her dress and had one eyebrow lifted.

She felt her cheeks burn and rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess you're right. Everyone thinks I'm still obsessing over Cloud." She shook her head. "I'll see you at breakfast, okay?"

There was a faint tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You might want to shower first."

"Why, do I smell?" Her eyebrows knitted.

"Like sex." He said it so deadpan before returning his attention to his gun that she had no idea how to react. She just stood there with her jaw on the floor and blinked. He set his gun down a moment later and reached for his gauntlet, allowing her to catch the amusement in his crimson eyes. Vincent's elusive sense of humor always seemed to strike when she least expected it.


	21. Breakfast Thievery

**Chapter 21 – Breakfast Thievery**

She laughed and headed out, thinking on her way to her room that she should just let the evidence of the previous evening's events tell everyone exactly what had happened between them. It was tempting but she doubted Vincent would appreciate it. She hoped that was because he was a gentleman and not because he was ashamed.

Still, there was something different about him. He seemed refreshed somehow. It was subtle and she wouldn't have been able to detect the difference if she hadn't already known him for years. Over the last few days he had been beaten down by their recent troubles and the emptiness that filled his soul had nearly consumed him. Now, he seemed to have a reason to fight back.

Tifa enjoyed entertaining the idea that she had something to do with that change while she showered and got dressed. As unlikely as it was, it would have been nice to think that she had given him a reason to stand up to their enemy. He had her strength and support but it would ultimately take much more than that to heal his wounds. She didn't know if she was ready to give him that, or if he would even take it.

_Gods, woman. It was just one night of great sex, and here you are already thinking about the future. You don't even know if he regrets it._ She laughed at herself. They had a hard fight ahead of them. She couldn't afford to worry about the repercussions of an intimate relationship with anyone – let alone Vincent Valentine – until she was sure they'd all make it out alive. He'd made it clear to her minutes ago that he wasn't going to let whatever he felt about the whole thing destroy his focus on what was to come.

If that was how he chose to deal with it then she would be damned if he'd see anything less from her.

Tifa threw on a fresh t-shirt, loose shorts, and her leather vest and made it to the mess hall with three minutes to spare. She took a chair between Yuffie and Shelke, directly across from Cloud. Yuffie set a plate of scrambled eggs and a sweet roll in front of her and she took it gratefully. Vincent and Cloud were discussing their options for the best way to approach Mount Nibel while Cid was listening in and sucking on a cigarette – breakfast of champions.

"You think it'll be faster taking the road from the Rocket Town side?" Cloud questioned Vincent.

"Yes. The bridge to the reactor coming from Nibelheim hasn't been rebuilt yet. It will be faster if we take the west road, even with the extra flying time."

"I thought you wanted to stop by the Shinra mansion and check the basement for any records?"

Vincent shook his head. "I've already spent enough time there to know that we won't find anything we don't already know. If there's anything of use to us, we'll find it inside the reactor."

Cloud was obviously a little disappointed but he let it go. It would have been nice to see his home town again, even if it was full of painful memories. "What about Cosmo Canyon? We could ask Red if he wants to join us."

"We don't have time for that, now. Melios moves fast and I'm certain that he knows we're moving as well. We need to work with what we already have or we'll lose whatever ground we still have left."

"Dammit, Vince. You make it sound like this thing is some kinda fuckin' demon." Cid bit down on his cigarette and didn't notice Yuffie next to him eyeing his untouched roll. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth between two fingers and pointed it at Vincent. "My Shera's the fastest damn thing in the sky. Are you tellin' me we can't out run one little clone?"

Vincent met Cid's blue eyes and held them. "This isn't just a clone, Cid. He's more than human. Calling him a demon may very well be accurate."

Cid wasn't fazed in the least and shoved his cigarette back in his mouth, grumbling around it. "Whatever he is, we'll beat him to the punch. I don't care how fuckin' fancy he is, he can still bleed." He let his guard down long enough for Yuffie to snatch his roll with lightning reflexes. "What the-!"

Cid reached for it but Yuffie twisted away as she tore off a piece and popped it in her mouth. "I wasn't done with that."

Yuffie giggled and got up to take her prize to safety, followed by Cid's growled, "Damn kid. I oughta make her sleep in the cargo hold."

Tifa grinned. If either of those two ever realized how fond of each other they both were, things would get interesting indeed. Though, certainly not the way things had become interesting between herself and Vincent. She picked at her own roll and watched what she could see of the side of his face as the men continued their discussion. Cloud was currently talking.

"Alright, so we'll take the west path. Cid, how close can you get us to the reactor from there?"

Cid took a drag while he thought about his answer. "I'd have to check the map but I'm pretty sure the closest I can get us is where it starts at the bottom. Ain't enough room to land any closer than that."

"That should be fine," Cloud said after considering it. "That should still cut our travel time in half."

Vincent cut in. "Can you lead us up that trail, Cloud?"

Cloud frowned. "Yeah but you've been through that way before, Vincent. You know it as well as I do."

"I've only been down that road once, and that was going the other direction. I have a good memory but I have to admit that I don't remember much about that place. You know the path well enough to get us there faster than anyone else."

Tifa took that moment to chime in. "No he doesn't." All three heads turned to face her and she smiled. "Did you forget that I was the best tour guide in the entire Nibel area?"

Cloud smirked, "That's right. Sorry, Tif, I guess I forgot."

"Then would you mind leading us up the mountain?" Vincent asked.

"Not at all. I'll get us there in no time."

Cid stood up, crushing the butt of his spent cigarette on the rim of his plate. By now, most of them had finished breakfast. "It'll be another couple hours 'fore we get to our landin' spot. I dunno about you kids but I need to go beat somethin' up. Cloud, why don't you tag along, you look bored." It was Cid's way of saying he was out of practice. Cloud smiled a challenge at the older pilot and received a flash of teeth in return.

"If anyone else wants to watch me put this kid in his place, we'll be in the rec room."

With that, everyone excused themselves and went their separate ways. Vincent walked beside Shelke as she followed Cid and Cloud. She had remained silent throughout the entire conversation and Tifa had almost forgotten she was even there at all. She caught Shelke saying something about practicing with her sabers before they were out of earshot. Tifa had never actually seen Shelke fight with her weapons before and decided she would stop by to see what the girl could do with them.

Yuffie came up behind her and poked her in the ribs, making her jump. The girl smiled and waggled her eyebrows at Tifa. "So? How'd it go?"

Tifa feigned innocence. "How'd what go?"

"You know, last night?"

"It went." Tifa kept any hints hidden knowing that it would drive Yuffie crazy. The girl crossed her arms in frustration.

"That's all I get?! I saw the way you looked at Vince when you sat down."

"And how exactly did I look at him?" Tifa peered at her, trying to appear offended.

"I dunno, but it seemed to me like either something really bad or really good happened. So which is it?"

"A lady doesn't kiss and tell, Yuffie." That was the wrong thing to say.

Yuffie's face lit up like a light bulb and she bounced on her heels. "I knew it! Wait till I tell everyone! Tifa's in looooove."

"Oh no you don't!" Tifa rounded on her with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "I never said anything like that and if you tell _anyone_ what I just said, I'll tell everyone that you like Cid."

Yuffie gasped and narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't!" she hissed.

"Try me."

"Ohhhh! If you do that, I'll kick your butt from here to Wutai."

"You think you can take me on?"

"I _know_ I can!"

"Fine, you're on!" Tifa snatched Yuffie's hand and dragged the girl out of the mess hall in the direction of the Shera's recreation room.


	22. Practice

**Chapter 22 – Practice**

"Oof, damn!"

Vincent watched Cloud land a well placed kick in the center of Cid's chest to send the man into the nearby wall. He was leaning on an adjacent wall with his arms folded and his legs crossed, thoroughly enjoying the show. The bamboo practice sword in Cloud's hand didn't make him look any less impressive in the way he wielded it. Cid huffed and leaned on his practice staff with a hand on one knee. Cloud stood in the center of the room without even a hint of labored breathing, but they had only been sparing for five minutes. Vincent knew Cid was trying to fool the younger man into thinking he had the upper hand.

_Overconfidence can lead to mistakes. Not bad, Cid. But not good enough this time._

"Giving up already? You're getting old, Cid." Cloud sounded disappointed.

Cid appeared tired one moment and the next he dashed across the floor and swung his staff expertly at Cloud's head. It connected only with air as Cloud dodged sideways and brought an elbow down towards Cid's shoulder blades. Cid planted the end of his staff on the ground and used his own momentum to twist out of the way and return Cloud's kick full force.

He succeeded in sending the other man flying back but Cloud kept his balance and bent his knees, boots squeaking across the mat. He coiled like a spring until he came to a stop and leapt at Cid faster than the older man could dodge. He collided with Cid head first and shoved a shoulder in his gut, sending the pilot toppling over backwards. Cid rolled with it and came up on his knees in time to block a downward swipe of Cloud's sword with his staff.

They continued their duel and Vincent mused silently to himself as he calculated the differences in their fighting styles. Cid was easily as strong as Cloud and could take a lot of punishment but Cloud was much faster and more agile and that put him miles ahead of the older pilot on the battle field. Ultimately Cid could never win a one-on-one fight with the younger man. It was a damn good thing they were allies.

Vincent almost felt like challenging Cloud but they didn't make practice guns for anything like this and hitting Cloud with rubber bullets didn't sound as satisfying as being able to land a solid punch. Hand to hand combat was never Vincent's specialty; he'd had his demons to do that for him. Maybe he should take lessons from Tifa. The image that thought created in his mind made him glad he'd worn his cloak so he could hide his grin behind his collar.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Tifa came stomping into the room with violent intent written all over her face. She had Yuffie in tow and the girl was wearing a similar expression. Vincent quirked an eyebrow at them but neither girl was looking in his direction.

"Ok guys, out of the way."

"Huh?" Cid turned and his distraction bought him a swipe of Cloud's practice sword to the head with a loud _thwack_. He staggered under the blow. "Ah, son of a bitch!"

Neither man had a chance to get back into their duel as Tifa stepped between them and stared them both down. "I need the floor. Now."

They blinked at her and fled from the threat of her wrath, moving to stand next to each other against the same wall Vincent was leaning on. Tifa pulled her gloves out of the pocket of her loose black shorts and slipped them on. Yuffie had taken up a spot a few feet from her and was stretching. She gave Tifa a goofy grin while the other woman pulled her gloves tight.

"So what do I get if I win?" Yuffie cracked her knuckles.

"You can have my best materia. And if I win, I get to set you up on a blind date with anyone I want to. And don't even try to back out."

"Hmmm." Yuffie tapped her lips with an index finger. "Fine. It's a deal."

Shelke, who was sitting on the floor next to Vincent and had been patiently waiting for the two men to finish, sighed softly. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear it but he caught it anyways. She may have had the body of a child but her mind was ten years ahead of her physical age. She undoubtedly knew what this was about, but they began their bout before he could ask.

Yuffie was the first to strike and she moved with surprising speed, aiming a kick at Tifa's head. Tifa crouched and when Yuffie's foot sailed over her head, she brought her hands under it and shoved upwards with enough force to send Yuffie into a backwards flip. Yuffie spun with it and landed lightly on her feet. The two of them closed in on each other and Tifa landed a knee in Yuffie's side at the same time that Yuffie jabbed her knuckles into Tifa's jaw.

They spun away from each other and rubbed their respective sore spots. Then Tifa dashed at the other girl and swung her fist so fast that everyone in the room could hear an audible _whoosh_ of air. Yuffie leapt straight up and flipped in the air to land on the mat behind Tifa, missing the punch by half a second, and she spun around with an elbow aimed at her opponent's head. But Tifa was ready for it, using the force of her swing to spin around and block Yuffie's arm. With that same force, she placed the palm of her hand against Yuffie's stomach and planted her feet, transferring her energy into a shove that sent the younger girl stumbling backwards.

Yuffie landed harshly on her bottom and huffed. Tifa held her stance and waited for the other girl to stand up. "Why, you!" She rushed Tifa recklessly and when she got close she jumped and spun in the air, using her agility to plant her feet squarely in the center of Tifa's back before the other woman could dodge. It threw Tifa forward and she curled to roll with it and come up on her knees. She didn't wait to stand up, twisting sideways in time to avoid Yuffie's fist. Tifa grabbed the arm as it flew passed her shoulder and pulled Yuffie forward, taking her off balance and sending her to the mat in front of Tifa on her back.

Tifa could have finished the battle there but she wasn't tired just yet. She knew Vincent was watching and she secretly wanted to impress him. Besides, the two of them were having fun and Yuffie really was a pretty good fighter even without her usual weapon of choice. She pushed herself up and hopped back, settling into a defensive stance while Yuffie got to her feet.

Yuffie brushed herself off and considered her next move. Tifa still had one point on her but she would fight on for the sake of adding to her precious materia collection. She formed an idea and thought she had a pretty good chance to pull it off.

With a huff, Yuffie darted forward. She tensed as though she was about to jump and saw Tifa stiffen in response to her bluff. Instead she dropped to the mat and slid between Tifa's legs, pivoting on the other side and kicking out at the other woman's back. For a moment she was sure she would hit but Tifa knew better than to leave herself unprepared for a bluff and turned to catch Yuffie's foot in her hands. She used her strength to continue her spin and lifted the other girl into the air, throwing her hard against the wall in almost the same spot Cid had landed earlier.

The air went out of Yuffie's lungs and she slumped against the wall, rubbing her head. "Owww! Okay, okay, you win. Jeez." Tifa came over and gave the girl a hand up and they smiled at each other as if they had just been dancing, rather than beating each other up.

"I'm holding you to our deal, Yuffie."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I don't have a choice." Yuffie pouted.

"I suppose I could give you a consolation prize," and Tifa whispered in Yuffie's ear.

"Okay!" Yuffie bounced happily, apparently agreeing to whatever Tifa had said. "See you later, Tif." She left the room to tend to her wounds.

Tifa faced her four audience members and raised her chin proudly. "Anyone else?"

No one spoke up so she walked over to lean against the wall in the space between Cloud and Vincent. Cid stood up from his crouch on the other side of Cloud and stretched, muscles rippling under his skin tight shirt. He placed a fresh cigarette between his lips and felt around for his lighter. "Remind me never to piss you off, Tif. I need a break. We can finish this later, Cloud." With that, he walked out.

Tifa thought she had an idea of where he was going and grinned. Reaping the rewards of her victory would be fun, indeed. Yuffie was long overdue for getting a taste of her own medicine. Next to her, Cloud pushed off the wall and waved an arm casually to the others.

"I'll catch you guys when we land." He moved to leave, but stopped so he could fix his piercing eyes on Vincent. Vincent caught the look and what he saw there hit him right in the gut. Cloud knew exactly what had happened last night. Tifa couldn't possibly have told him, she hadn't been alone with Cloud since she woke up. He couldn't believe that Cloud was that perceptive, but then he _had_ known Tifa almost his entire life. Cloud and Vincent held each other in place for a long tense minute while their eyes did the talking for them.

_If you hurt her, Vincent, I'll kill you._

_I'll kill myself before I ever hurt her._

They understood each other and the moment passed, allowing Cloud to slip away. Tifa saw the way they had stared at each other but she didn't understand what had just passed between them. Vincent didn't offer her any hints, as usual, so she sighed and rested her head against the wall. _Men._

Shelke got to her feet and moved into the center of the room. She flipped her sabers on and they glowed orange along with the connecting wire that looped behind her back. Her eyes lit up with the same glow and she took a stance. With expert grace, she began her practice routine, swinging her sabers and spinning as though she were dancing. It was beautiful to watch.

Tifa was so caught up in Shelke's movements that she almost missed Vincent's hand finding hers and interlocking their fingers together. She looked down at their joined hands and then up to see him studying her from behind his collar like he was waiting for her permission. It was such a small gesture that she was surprised to find moisture blurring her vision. She turned away and swiped at it with her free hand, annoyed at how childish she must have looked.

While she was distracted, she felt Vincent's breath hot against her ear and his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. "Some day you'll have to teach me some of those moves." Tifa had just discovered that the man had a way of using his voice to bypass her brain and speak directly to her body; and it was more than willing to talk back. _Did it suddenly get really warm in here? _She had to compose herself before replying.

"You're on."


	23. Ascend To Hell

**Chapter 23 – Ascend to Hell**

Dust rose in great clouds and swirled up around the airship as the Shera descended to a flat grassy patch near the foot of Mount Nibel. Her attitude thrusters hissed to level her out as she settled gently to the earth and hovered. Cid loved the airship as much as he would love a human partner, and for good reason. The huge ship was a masterpiece of engineering, art, and functionality rolled into one faithful machine. She flew steady and true despite having been rebuilt from the ground up after the assault on Midgar last year.

Sections of her lower hull peeled back to allow the ramp of the docking bay to slide to the ground. Six colorful people came down the ramp to stretch their land legs in the shadow of the Shera's neck. The sun climbed high overhead but the air was cool and smelled like lilies. For a while, they could all forget that death lurked in their own shadows. Tifa thought she heard a gentle female voice in the breeze telling her that everything would be alright but it was gone the moment she tried to concentrate on it.

Next to her, Cloud was standing with his head tilted up to the sky and his eyes closed, clearly thinking about a long lost companion and raindrops on his face. Tifa placed her hand on his arm where he had once been scarred by geostigma and he looked at her. They shared a private smile in remembrance before the group decided it was time to move ahead.

The beginning of a wide path rose up into the rocks and foliage of the surrounding area a few hundred feet from where they'd landed. Tifa waved everyone over and headed for it, but she came up short when she noticed Cid wavering. Everyone else turned to follow her gaze. The man was looking up at his ship over his shoulder longingly and Tifa could swear he was about to break down and weep.

"My baby…" He felt their eyes on his back and thumbed his nose to get back into the spirit of their trip, shouldering his spear and running to catch up. He hated to leave his ship but his crew would be able to take care of her until they returned. With everyone accounted for, Tifa led them on.

The old path wound up the mountain between jagged outcroppings that resembled the skeletal teeth of some ancient dragon. Most of the trip had their group surrounded in an eerie quiet that hung heavily in the air and forced them to whisper whenever they felt the need to speak. Even Yuffie's usually high spirits were dampened by it. The closer they came to the reactor, the more they began to hear strange sounds in the air. A strong wind had picked up when they were about ten minutes away from their goal and the sounds became keening wails and ominous moans.

Everyone, even Vincent, was visibly unnerved. Those cries gave the vicious peaks around them the appearance of clawed fingers waiting for some sudden movement to awaken them so they could close over the entire group, trapping them in this hell forever. Cloud came up beside Tifa as they walked and whispered to her.

"We haven't run into any monsters at all so far. I don't remember this place ever being like this, do you?" It was as though the place had become devoid of any living thing in the wake of the tragedy associated with it.

Tifa shook her head, trying to focus on the path and not the song of the dead that filled her ears or the biting wind that whipped her face. Cloud felt the need to continue the conversation, probably as a means to relieve some of his nervousness.

"If the clone was really born here, it's no wonder it wants to kill us." He tossed a glance at Tifa as they walked, she wasn't replying but she wasn't shutting him out either. His soft voice was a comfort to them both. "So … Vincent, huh? I have to admit I would never have guessed." In retrospect, perhaps not the best thing to say at a time like this, judging by Tifa's startled stare.

Cloud smiled and answered her silent question. "I've known you for a long time, Tif. It's easier for me to see something like that when it isn't aimed at me." Cloud had never been particularly tactful but Tifa had learned to deal with that over the years.

She laughed softly. "So that's what you two were staring each other down for. Growling over me like a piece of meat, hmm?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt." He dropped his peculiar blue eyes to the dirt in front of his feet.

_Why do they always say that? _"I can't have you, so I can't have anyone else either?" Her words stung him and he winced.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Tif."

"I know what you meant." She sighed and touched his arm with her fingertips in apology. "Look, it isn't anything serious," _at least not yet,_ "and you know I can take care of myself. How many times do I have to keep saying that before anyone believes me?"

Cloud seemed to accept that because he said nothing more on the subject. After a few more minutes the derelict reactor came into view around a high stone rock face on the left side of the path. Its rusty metal husk loomed above them, bringing unwanted memories back to the two in the lead. The wails on the wind made an ironically appropriate soundtrack to those memories.

Tifa was frozen in place, staring up at the reactor's corpse and unable to continue on her own. Cloud was the one to step forward, pulling his sword from the sheath on his back and trudging ahead. Memories had no power over him anymore. Tifa felt Vincent's presence behind her right shoulder and his clawed hand came to rest on it, carefully avoiding letting their tips touch her flesh.

It gave her the strength to continue. She balled her hands into fists and took off after Cloud, pounding her fear into the ground with her exaggerated determination. The others followed and together they climbed the steps to the entrance, metal creaking under each foot fall. Inside the reactor there was no power and absolute darkness closed in on them.

Yuffie gasped and grabbed the arm of the first person she could reach, which happened to be Cid. It showed how nervous Cid was when he didn't even try to shoo her away. Everyone jumped when something hissed and they were bathed in the sudden light of Shelke's sabers. The orange light was feeble but it let them see well enough to move around. Her glowing eyes flicked around curiously as she searched for some hint of what they were looking for.

"Good thing we brought the human flashlight with us," Cid mumbled under his breath. Shelke ignored the comment; it was only the older pilot's reaction to fear. There was a click from Cid's direction and his lighter came to life long enough to singe the end of his cigarette. The small red ember reflected in his eyes. "So what the hell are we lookin' for?"

"One of these pods should have some kind of modification. The instrumentation will probably be different from the others. It may even still have power." Shelke disengaged the power link between her weapons and handed one saber to Vincent. "We can split up. Call out if you find anything. Try to move quickly, the battery will not last long while my weapons are separated."

Vincent accepted their makeshift light source and headed for the first row of pods to the right. Yuffie and Cid followed him while Tifa followed Shelke to the bottom row of pods on their left. Cloud, eyes gleaming greenish with the telltale sign of mako, took off alone deeper into the room. Fortunately, it didn't take them long to find what they were looking for.

"Here!" Clouds voice boomed in the darkness. His eyes appeared from the shadows at the end of the third row up on the far left. It reminded them all of the eyes of a wolf reflecting the light of a full moon. The others joined him and Shelke stepped over with her one saber to examine the open pod he was indicating.

A rectangular panel sat just below the pod's round window on the inside of the door. It was of moderate size and had a digital display screen several inches across in the middle of the upper half of the face plate. There was a touch screen plate taking up the lower right quarter and several indicator lights and a coin sized half sphere of clear plastic on the left quarter indicating some kind of enclosed camera. An obvious power button sat to the left of the digital display and the holes of an internal speaker made a small square on the right.

The panel was lifeless but Shelke recognized the model and knew that it contained a battery. If they were lucky, it still had some power in it. She pushed the power button and held her breath. Nothing happened at first but after ten seconds, the digital display slowly lit up and offered several options regarding the functions it had been programmed for. The touch screen lit up as well to show a keypad with several numbers and one word commands.

"Can you use it?" Vincent was standing next to Shelke, studying the panel.

"Yes."


	24. Caged

**Chapter 24 – Caged**

"It is a remote monitoring and information terminal. Hojo must have used it to keep an eye on his subject and study its progress without the need to come here himself. Presumably he would have been able to communicate with the clone directly through this and provide it with information and orders." She touched a few buttons and navigated through the machinery's menu, searching for something. "Ah, yes. It has an internal database that Hojo could download information into for the clone's benefit." Then she frowned. "But I do not see an uplink connector anywhere on the case. It seems that the panel was hardwired directly into the pod's own electrical systems."

"Can you find a way to access the information?"

Shelke thought for a minute and then nodded, looking up at Vincent. "I can do so from inside the pod. There should be enough energy left in the terminal's batteries to allow me to run the information uplink program. You will have to engage the locks from the outside in order to close the circuits."

Vincent didn't like that idea at all. If Shelke locked herself inside that pod, there was no telling if they would be able to free her. Shelke offered him a small smile.

"Do not worry, Vincent. I will be sure to reserve enough battery power to disengage the locks once I have accessed the panel's internal library."

"Is there no other way?"

"Terminals such as this one usually come with safety measures that destroy the circuitry and burn the memory block if someone tries to physically tamper with them. I could bypass them but it would take hours and would require leaving the power on while I worked. I cannot risk running the battery down in the process."

She had a good point. Putting her inside the pod was their only real option. He sighed in acceptance. "If something happens, give us a sign and we'll get you out before it shuts down."

Shelke set her saber down and stepped into the deep shadow of the pod's innards. She leaned against the pads that lined its interior and called back to them that she was ready. The heavy door swung shut and she had only the faint light of the digital display in front of her now. When she heard the door's latches click she accessed the terminal and touched the button labeled "Start" to begin the desired program. From here on, the locks could only be opened with a command from inside.

There was a pause similar to that upon turning the device on that she realized meant that the terminal was drawing sufficient battery power to perform the requested function. A red message flashed across the display that said: "WARNING: Low battery! 1.37 power remaining. Continue requested operation?" She touched the affirmation key and a few seconds later she was surrounded by a very faint green glow as the terminal activated the pod and established a mental link through its mako energy reserves.

Information surged into her mind from the terminal's data banks but most of it was outdated historical records and information pertaining to Hojo himself that Shelke already knew. It took a few minutes before she was given the information she needed. She closed her eyes as the missing data regarding the project flooded her mind. Details about the successes and failures of the experiments and the final results gave her a clearer idea of what the clone's abilities were. Commands came through the link to her that had the feel of a father's orders to an unruly son. They explained what the clone was responsible for and what to do if his subject should fail.

There was something else that came through the uplink, a final order from Hojo in the event that he was killed, but Shelke didn't get a chance to dwell on it. She snapped her eyes open to the low warning beep that broke through her trance. It was the battery warning again and she knew immediately that she had waited too long before noticing it. The pale green light around her flickered and she reached for the door release button in what seemed like slow motion. The digital display showed its warning one more time before the fading power tripped one of the safety traps as its final dying act.

An angry red spark flashed in the pod's interior and Shelke was bathed in utter darkness and the smell of burned circuitry. The only sound that came to her was her own gasping breath and the pounding of her heart in the darkness. The thick walls of the pod prevented any outside sound from filtering in and the window was dark. Panic began to take her as she fully understood her situation.

The others outside wouldn't be able to open the door with the power shut off and without the life support system running, she was trapped in this small space with only the stale air around her to breathe. She felt her knees weaken and she dropped to curl into a ball on the floor of the pod. She couldn't see, hear, or feel anything around her and it reminded her of Nero's oblivion. But this time she didn't have her shield to protect her and Vincent wouldn't magically appear out of nowhere to rescue her.

Terror filled her mind and she wanted to scream but had to force herself to concentrate on slowing her heartbeat. Screaming would only waste the air that remained and she would die before they ever had a chance to break her free. Would they be able to free her? Did they have any idea what had happened? She tried to comfort herself with the thought that they were all outside right now trying to figure out a way to save her. It did little good. There should have been at least the orange light of her sabers outside the window but it was completely dark. Their energy must have run out some time during her uplink.

She sat curled up on herself in the darkness of what was now her tomb for what felt like hours until she thought she heard a tapping at the pod's window. She lifted her head and saw a small flame burning on the other side of the glass; Cid's lighter. His face came to the window lit by that flame and he was trying to mouth something to her but it was obvious that he couldn't see her where she was. She stood up and pressed her forehead against the glass and when Cid spotted her, he turned to say something to the others. Then he faced her again and motioned for her to step back as far as she could go.

She nodded and pressed herself against the rear of the pod as it began to shake. She heard pounding against the door followed by the groan of metal. They were trying to break it open. A few more pounds against the metal came to her ears and suddenly at least a foot's length of Cloud's sword was shoved through the upper end of the tight seam around the door. It sounded like it came within inches of Shelke's head before stopping and she yelped.

The sword twisted slowly and the metal groaned in protest. A second later the blade carved downwards, slicing cleanly through the latches that held the door in place. Shelke was out of the pod the second the door was opened enough for her to fit through and she ran straight into Vincent where he was standing on the other side, her small arms wrapped around him so tightly that he could hardly breathe.

Shelke squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against his stomach, sobbing and trembling now that she had an outlet for her terror. She didn't care that she was as frightened as a child, only that she wouldn't have to spend her final moments trapped in that horrible coffin.

"Let's get out of here." It was Vincent's voice and she felt herself lifted in his arms. The others gladly followed and when they were finally outside, he set Shelke down gently and kneeled at her side. Her friends surrounded her, all wearing concern. "Are you alright, Shelke?"

Her sobs had calmed and she wiped at her wet cheeks, sniffling. "I … I think so." Her voice was faint but steady. "Thank you for getting me out."

Tifa knelt on her other side and squeezed one of her hands. "You don't ever have to thank us for that."

Shelke looked up at them each in turn and found the strength to smile. Every one of them had stayed near her whether they could help or not. They had been there to pull her out when she'd put her life on the line to help them. They showed only concern for her well being when she was safe. They were her family, one she had only known for a year but one that she had waited ten years to have.

She got to her feet and lifted her head to show them that she was fine. Cloud stepped over and held her unarmed sabers out to her, grip first. His quiet smile lent her his strength.

"I think you dropped these."

She nodded and took them with steady hands. "I think I'm ready to go back to the ship." The rest of the group didn't need any more convincing than that.


	25. The Final Piece

**Chapter 25 – The Final Piece**

Shelke nursed a cup of tea while she organized in her mind what she'd learned at the reactor. She and the others were gathered at a table in the mess hall and her friends waited patiently for her to fill them in. With a gentle sigh, she began.

"Melios is stronger than we thought. I learned that Professor Hojo failed seventeen times to create a viable clone before finally perfecting his technique. The result is a perfect synthesis of human and Chaos genetic material where the human genetics are dominant and can manipulate the Chaos genetics on a molecular level with simple mental functions. In essence, the clone can change his physical structure the same way you or I would lift our arms."

"However, Melios can only do this partially. He does not have the ability to become Chaos completely without the power of the protomateria that Vincent once possessed." She sipped her tea and watched the liquid swirl when she set it down. "Hojo discovered that his clones were acting strangely at night. They spoke of things they hadn't been taught about that only Vincent would know. By studying their behavior he learned that they were linked to their parent genetic donor through the subconscious via his dreams. It seems to have been a byproduct of Vincent's already enhanced genetics due to the experimentation that was performed on him by Doctor Lucrecia."

"Hojo theorized that by using this link, a clone could communicate with you, locate you, obtain knowledge, and possibly even travel to your location in a matter of minutes. I am not entirely sure how he came to such a ridiculous conclusion but he seemed to think it would be possible using the Lifestream. If he was correct, this explains how Melios has been able to find Vincent so easily and so quickly."

"It also explains what he intends to use the protomateria for. As to his purpose, he was originally meant to take Vincent's place as the host of Chaos and serve Hojo in whatever future plans he may have had. However, that task is no longer possible since Hojo was killed. In the event of his death, Hojo left a final command that the clone obtain the protomateria by any means necessary and destroy everyone involved in his murder as a last act of revenge. The order states that the clone must fulfill this wish … or die trying."

Everyone at the table was grim with foreboding. Vincent finally spoke up a moment later.

"You're saying that if Melios manages to reactivate the protomateria, he will be able to turn himself into Chaos at will?"

Shelke nodded. "There is more to it than that, though. The clone will be able to take on the form of Chaos but he will still have to awaken the real demon in order to control it and use its power. Hojo never mentions how the clone will be able to do that. I believe he assumed that the secret to doing so would be included in the clone's own genetic material as it comes from you."

"The only time I was ever able to call forth Chaos was when I was grievously injured or enraged. Melios would have to do it the same way."

"Then we will have to find a way to trap him or kill him before he can do so."

Tifa broke in. "Vincent, didn't you say that Chaos returned to the planet after you destroyed Omega?"

"Yes, but he was linked to the protomateria. If Melios really can reactivate it, I'm sure he'll be able to draw Chaos out again."

"So what can we do to stop him?"

Shelke spoke up, "I came up with an idea on the way back to the ship that may work, if we are careful." She looked to Vincent. "Melios does not know where we are right now and I'm certain he has managed to reach the Northern Cave crater by now, for whatever reason. He will be searching for us. I think we should send out an invitation."

Vincent caught on right away but the rest of the group looked confused. He smiled behind his collar. "You want to set a trap." When Shelke nodded, he continued. "You think we can beat him?"

"He may be strong but he does not yet have Chaos' power and now that we know about your bond with him, we can use it to our advantage."

"How?"

"Since you know that your dreams are actually a link, you should be able to take control of that link and thus take control of your dream. You can give Melios whatever information you wish and even forcefully draw him to you. Also keep in mind that there are six of us to his one and he only believes he is up against three."

Vincent wasn't sure he wanted to risk it but the hope in the eyes of everyone around him made his mind up for him. With his friends depending on him, he would fight. "Alright, I'll try." Shelke touched his arm and drew his attention.

"One more thing. Melios knows you intimately, Vincent, but that knowledge goes both ways. Regardless of what he is capable of, he is still essentially a copy of you. Remember that."

"I will. When and where do you suggest we set our trap?"

"The Shinra mansion, tonight."

**--**

There was something different about the connection in his mind. It was muddier than usual. It couldn't have been due to distance; his prey could flee to the other side of the planet and he would still be able to find him. This was something else entirely. Could Vincent have figured out that they were linked?

Melios discarded that thought. Even if he _had_ figured out that his dreams were more than just fleeting subconscious imagery, there was no way the man could have felt the bond from the other end or even been able to recognize what it was. Perhaps it was fatigue. That seemed to make sense if what he'd felt last night really had been an attack on Vincent. The man certainly hadn't slept since Melios had come to him that night in Edge.

Melios let his arms take Chaos form and curled his clawed fingers, feeling the strength in them. He ran those claws along the bare rock of the crater ledge beneath his feet where he crouched, enjoying the way they carved deep grooves in the stone with hardly any pressure. There had barely been enough Jenova material left to achieve his goal but the cells, when taken into his body, kindled a tiny spark inside the protomateria. The sphere pulsed dimly near his heart. If he wanted to, he could take Chaos' full form, but it would only be a shell without the demon's true power.

He knew what he had to do to gain that power, though. Vincent and his allies would hand it to him on a silver platter and never even know it. All he had to do now was wait for Vincent to sleep. It was a shame their link wasn't strong enough to permit coercion.

"You have to sleep some time. When you do, I will come."

**--**

It felt like a tender hand brushing his cheek. Vincent turned his face into the breeze and closed his eyes. He thought he could hear a woman laughing but it sounded miles away and every time he tried to catch it, it darted away from his hearing like a playful butterfly. Between the hum of the Shera's engines in the distance, the warm afternoon sun, and the silken breeze, he could forget about what was coming and pretend for a while that things weren't quite so bad. Even the boulder he sat on somehow felt soft.

Vincent knew Tifa was looking for him but he had to get away from her and from everyone else. Spending so much time in the company of his friends wore on him over time. The last few days stretched out behind him so that it seemed more like months. Months spent in close proximity to people who knew him well enough to see behind his mask of indifference, months spent with people he could no longer hide from. Months spent coming to terms with his feelings about all of them … and about Tifa.

He drew up his memories of their night together and inhaled deeply. The smell of the white and yellow lilies growing around his perch lent the images frightening realism. Had it all been a dream? He had never felt so alive, not even with Lucrecia. Beautiful Lucrecia had always been a distant dream, someone fleeting and delicate like a wild animal, and someone who had always been just out of reach even when he could simply extend his hand to touch her.

But Tifa wasn't anything like Lucrecia. She was a typhoon of feminine strength and fluid beauty. When she struck, it was silent and final, and the ground beneath his feet was swept away before he ever saw it coming. It disturbed Vincent that she had crushed his walls so swiftly and so thoroughly. He wondered if she was aware that she had stirred up the part of him that was no longer human, the part of him that was once filled with demons and had become demonic as a result. He smirked.

_You are what eats you._

He half expected Chaos to retort but was met only with his inner void. No, not completely a void now. There was a tiny flame that burned in that black pit, a flame Tifa had lit. It didn't fill him but it was enough to make him believe that some day it might, if he allowed it to grow. But that wasn't possible. He was immortal so long as he stayed out of harm's way, and that meant that some day he would lose Tifa. If he let that flame grow, he would have to watch it die.

_Is it better to love and lose?_

He knew the answer to that question. Hojo had given it to him without mercy; it nearly killed him. And yet, he was alive and there were people in this different world that actually seemed to give a shit about him. It was amusing to think that if he hadn't been given the 'gift' of eternal life, he would never have met any of them. They would all die some day and leave him behind to carry on their memories. It was an honor he believed he wasn't entitled to.

_I don't deserve any of them, especially her._

But she acted like she thought he did. She had wormed her way into his soul and given him her heart against her better judgment and all he could do in return was promise never to forget. That twisted inhuman part of him stepped in and filled his head with quaint images of what their future would have been if he wasn't a monster. A house, children, and Tifa in his arms every night. Happiness, comfort, and none of it would ever happen.

_I can't give her what she needs. I can only watch her die._

But she had promised to die by his side. He wondered if she knew the implications of a promise like that. Did she intend it to sound like a pledge to spend the rest of her mortal life with him? She knew he would never age, just as most of his few friends did, and it hadn't stopped her from giving her body to him. But that wasn't love, it was lust. Did she know what it had done to him? Did she know that one night was all it took to destroy Vincent Valentine?

Vincent heaved a sigh deep enough to almost extinguish that tiny flame in his soul. Maybe when this was over he could afford to stop denying his own feelings. The sun was getting low and they still had work to do. Regardless of whether she loved him or not, he could never ask her to die for him. He knew what he had to do.

_One night of heaven is more than I deserve, and all I can take._

**--**

"Why can't I stay with you?" Tifa asked, confused.

"It's too dangerous. If something goes wrong, I don't want you here to fight our enemy alone before the others can get to you." Vincent had his back to her and was studying the stairs leading to the second floor of the Shinra mansion. The rest of the group had split up to find a suitable room in which to set their trap.

Tifa had assumed that they would be near him while he attempted to draw their enemy to them but he had argued that they should stay hidden until he called on them, if only to keep their real numbers withheld as long as possible. Secretly, he didn't want them to be there if he failed and Melios managed to kill him before he ever woke up.

_I'm not worth dying for, Tifa. Can't you see that?_

Tifa wasn't buying his verbal excuse. "If you're worried about not coming out of it in time to save yourself, it would be a good idea to have someone there to wake you up."

"We don't know that Melios has to physically hurt me to kill me. I can't take that risk."

"I don't remember you being this cold when I told you I would stick with you last night." She was clearly hurt by his refusal to let her stay by his side. He knew she was trying to draw him out from behind his stolid exterior. He shut his eyes to hide what he really felt even though she couldn't see it. What he was about to say was a blatant lie but if it would save her life in the end, it was worth doing. He hoped she would forgive him some day.

"Tifa, last night was only a dream. This is the reality of what we're facing. Just forget about what happened between us and worry about your own life. I died a long time ago and if this is the night that finally takes me to my grave, I can go there knowing that I've settled everything in my life that kept me alive."

His soft words hung in the air between them and cut into Tifa like tiny razors. He could feel her eyes drilling into his back. He imagined her thinking of a hundred things to say to try to change his mind. Would she fight his words with denial? Would she accept them and hate him for the rest of her life? Would she see right through them as the lies they were?

"So there really is nothing you want to live for anymore." She'd said it so softly that it was obviously meant for herself. He made himself turn around to face her and the look she wore gutted him. She had known this was coming but she had dared to hope that she had given him a reason to live. She wasn't angry or bitter; in fact she stood there with such an apologetic posture that it became clear to him exactly how much of a mistake he'd made.

She was sorry that she'd failed him.

_You haven't failed me, Tifa. If only I could show you. I want to live … for _you_, but I can't give you that. Please don't blame yourself. Don't live with regret as I did._

But he couldn't say that. Not when her life was at stake. If he survived this night, he would never be able to look at her again. He could never take back what he'd said. He promised that he would kill himself before he ever hurt her. Tonight would end his life whether at the hands of their enemy or beneath the crushing weight of his guilt.

"I understand, Vincent. I'm sorry." There was no resentment in her voice. She looked up at him and smiled her gentle smile and when she left him alone in the desolate entry hall of the mansion, he knew he had destroyed what they had between them. The brittle flame inside his soul died and he understood then that he had loved her since the moment they'd met. He loved her and now he would never be able to touch her again. He had just signed his death warrant.


	26. The Trap is Set

**Chapter 26 – The Trap is Set**

Shelke, Yuffie, Cid, and Cloud had all gathered around Vincent in the main entry hall of the mansion to go over their plan. Tifa was nowhere to be found, having told Shelke in passing that she was going to find a decent hiding spot while they prepared themselves. She hadn't spoken to anyone else so no one seemed aware of the conversation they'd had just before dusk. Shelke was pointing at spots on a small hand drawn map of the building.

"We can each take up a position in the adjoining rooms to block off any immediate escape routes. The entry hall is large enough to give us room to maneuver. I doubt our enemy will try to flee if he has already reactivated the protomateria, but it will be best to cover all the exits just in case. Vincent, when you manage to bring him here, you will have to give us some signal so we can step in. Try not to wait too long."

Shelke's confidence in him was touching. He wished he felt as sure of himself. He nodded anyways and she continued.

"We will have to be careful. If we damage Melios too much, it may give him the chance to draw Chaos out. If that happens, we are all probably…"

"Fucked?" Cid filled in for her.

"Yes. However, if we are careful, we can probably subdue him long enough to take back or destroy the protomateria. If we do that, we can harm him without fear of inciting Chaos' wrath."

"Destroy it?" Vincent frowned. The thought hadn't occurred to him. He had always assumed the protomateria would be with him for as long as his eternal body would continue to live on.

"If you recall, it was created to serve as a control device when Chaos was born inside of you, Vincent. If it can be created, it can also be destroyed, and that may be the best choice. I have no doubt that if Chaos in ever drawn up from the planet again, it will be recreated to serve the same purpose. While it still exists, it has the potential to be used against you. This entire situation is an example of that."

He couldn't disagree with the girl's logic. "Then we'll destroy it if we can."

"Other than that, I do not have any other suggestions. We have the element of surprise and strength in numbers. Let us hope that that will be enough."

They broke up and went to find separate hiding spots to wait for Vincent's signal. It was now fully into night and Shelke flipped off the light they had used to go over the plan as she left the room. There wasn't really any suitable spot to lay down that would be comfortable enough for Vincent to sleep in so he sat with his back against the locked front doors.

He tried to clear his mind but he couldn't stop thinking about Tifa and what he'd done to her. He wondered how he could have let himself betray the second woman he had ever loved as he had betrayed the first. Hadn't he learned his lesson all those decades ago? He was so sure it was the right thing to do at the time, at least that was his initial excuse. He thought of her face and of the understanding in her eyes when she'd left him. That was what hurt the most.

It would have been alright if she had hated him or yelled at him or even struck him physically. Then she could have moved on and forgotten about him. She could have blamed him for leading her on only to break her heart like the cold bastard he was. Any of those results would have made it easier to accept what would come afterwards. Instead, she assumed it was her own fault for not being strong enough. She blamed herself. How could he die and leave her with a burden that should never have been hers to bear? How could he go on living knowing that he would never see her again?

He recalled the night they had spent together as he sat in the dusty shadows. The memory was still fresh and it filled him with joy and despair all at once. _You had that, and you let it go._ For the first time in his life he had read someone completely wrong. Now all he would ever have is a memory. If he lived to see tomorrow, he would treasure that memory as long as he could hold onto it. It was that memory that eventually lulled him to sleep.


	27. Myth and Legend

**Chapter 27 – Myth and Legend**

_Emptiness thrummed like a tightly drawn chord all around him. There was no sense of time or space, no up or down, no light or dark; only emptiness that waited for something. He didn't know what. The tightly wound tension of that emptiness stretched tighter as he waited, until something in his mind finally snapped._

_Suddenly a soft white light flooded his dream vision. He felt that he was standing on a flat surface but when he looked around he could see nothing, not even his own body. Then he saw her._

_It was Tifa but not Tifa. He didn't think her eyes were really blood red. She came to him, walking on some invisible surface, with her sweet smile. When she was close enough for him to reach out and touch her, she stopped._

"_I'm glad you finally called, Vincent. I was worried about you."_

_It was her voice but not her voice. The inflections were all wrong. She studied him._

"_Are you okay? You seem different somehow? You didn't get hurt, did you?"_

_He wanted to touch her. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry and beg for her forgiveness. He tried to reach out but when he felt his arms move, he saw nothing. Where was his body? There was something he needed to remember, something that was dreadfully important. It pulled at his mind but stayed just out of reach._

"_You know, Vincent. I've really missed you. I know you hurt me but it's alright now. You gave me something wonderful, something precious, and I'll treasure it forever."_

_She was circling him slowly like a predatory animal. He tried to follow her movements but when he tried to move his head, it stayed in place as though it were being held in a vice. That nagging sensation came back. It was Tifa, but not Tifa. He knew but he couldn't hold onto that knowledge long enough to process it._

"_I know you did what you had to do, Vincent. I know you didn't want to hurt me but you had no choice. You will still have to pay for what you did to me, but I understand."_

_She understands. An image of Tifa's face while the two of them stood in the entry hall of an old mansion came to him. She understands, and she was waiting for him. He remembered what he was supposed to do._

_He opened his eyes. He hadn't realized they were closed. There was a rushing sound and suddenly the Tifa that wasn't really Tifa stood in front of him. He could see and feel his body now and there was a nondescript white surface beneath his feet that stretched on in every direction._

_He knew he was dreaming and he remembered what he had to do. He could feel a gentle tugging at the back of his mind and with a decisive snap, he cut the invisible string. The false Tifa in front of him staggered as though struck._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Cutting you off." His voice was a grating snarl. Rage flooded him and he stepped forward to grab the false Tifa by the neck with his metal claws. "You have no control over me."_

_The false Tifa frowned and a moment later his claw was closed over nothing. A few feet away, a carbon copy of himself stood placidly watching him behind a collar that was identical except for the black color of the fabric. The leather of the copy's outfit was red but they were otherwise identical. Melios sighed._

"_Interesting. I didn't think you had figured it out."_

_Vincent growled through clenched teeth. "You will not take her form again, ever."_

_Melios raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you how animated you are in your dreams?" When Vincent didn't respond, he smirked. "Fine. Would you prefer this one?"_

_In the blink of an eye, Chaos stood where Melios had been. The voice that had been identical to Vincent's was now tainted by the demon's nuances. Glowing yellow eyes burned from within a face that resembled cracked porcelain under a wild explosion of spiked locks that rose over its head, one of which hung low over the ride side of its face. Its sculpted body radiated strength and energy and its leathery wings hung in the air behind it. Various pieces of jagged metal were attached to its limbs similar to what Vincent wore with a more vicious appearance. A faintly pulsing sphere sat on its left breast. The demon was both beautiful and horrifying and Vincent had never been able to truly appreciate that until now._

"_Better? I hope so." The demon smirked wickedly. "You'll be seeing this face in the waking world soon enough when I find you. It won't take long."_

_Melios caught Vincent staring at the protomateria._

"_That's right. It's awake now. I'm only missing one piece, but I'm sure you already know that." It tilted its head as though listening to something only it could hear. "It's a shame, you know. I think Chaos actually prefers you as a host. I can feel him under my skin, in my veins, trying to get away. I have too much control over him." He sighed. "My father never understood that. Chaos is the essence of unpredictability. Using his power is one thing but my father wanted to bring him to order, make him obey his every whim. In the end, that is ultimately impossible since it goes against everything Chaos represents."_

_Melios began circling Vincent again but this time, Vincent could follow him as he moved. Each of his footsteps rung with a metallic clink._

"_I'm dying Vincent. The only way to reactivate the protomateria was to infuse my body with Jenova cells while I had it inside of me. Naturally, that doesn't sit well with Chaos' genetic material. He was created by the planet to fight things like that. Threatening his existence through my own body's plight caused the protomateria to reawaken. In a matter of days I'll begin to decay and in a few weeks, I'll die. Fortunately, I have only one task to perform before I leave this world. But first, I want to show you something."_

_He spoke with a matter-of-fact tone as though he were simply giving Vincent the time of day. When he came around in a full circle, he stopped in front of Vincent and turned to him, drawing a pistol from a holster at his side. Melios held the pistol pointed up so Vincent could see it clearly. The weapon was the same he'd seen when the clone attacked Tifa on the street a few days ago._

_The gun's metal was polished silvery steel and the decorations were ink black. Up close, he could now tell that in place of the three wolf heads on his own weapon, there were three gruesome heads of crones with their mouths open in howls of rage and their gnarled hair flowing back in slithering waves. The charm that hung from the grip had a similar depiction._

"_Have you every heard of the legend of the three Furies?"_

_Vincent shook his head, unable to take his eyes away from the gun._

"_The myth states that there are three female spirits, the Erinyes, who hunt down anyone that commits a crime or injustice either of the law or of ethics. They haunt the guilty person and torment him mercilessly even into death until he begs for forgiveness. It's said that they are horrible to look upon, with serpents for hair and eyes that drip blood." The demon smiled. "They are the spirits of justice, anger, and vengeance, embodied by the weapon my father had made for me in similarity to your own Hound of Hell."_

_There was a pause as Melios let his words sink in before continuing._

"_This weapon is called Fury. I'm going to use it to kill you and your friends, as you killed my father."_

_Vincent narrowed his eyes. "You never even met your 'father' and all you can do is obey his selfish wishes? Do you have any idea what Hojo has done since you were put in that capsule?"_

"_Yes. I know everything about what my father did. Honestly, I don't care for him much. I never had a chance to know him, but he made me. I wouldn't even exist without him, so I owe him that much."_

_Vincent couldn't understand how something with a mind, a heart, and a soul could give everything up for a man like Hojo. This creation was a mockery of life, a mockery of _his_ life. It made him sick to hear those words spoken in his voice. He could have been just like this if Hojo had found a way to do it. He could have become Hojo's personal pet demon. But this creature wasn't him, it was only a cheap imitation, and that was the worst insult of them all._

_He suddenly felt pity for the clone. He was nothing more than a machine built to service a madman. Hojo had violated the clone the same way he had violated Vincent. He thought he finally understood something of Cloud's pain. Was this what it felt like when Kadaj died in the boy's arms? "But all Hojo wanted was to use you like a slave. You have the will to do what you want with your own life."_

"_On the contrary, Vincent, I don't have the will to do what I want. I have no wants other than what I was programmed to desire." The demon closed its eyes and lowered the pistol. "Free will was never a part of my father's plans for me. I can no more go against his wishes than you can make your own heart stop beating. I suppose that the human part of me would wonder what it would be like to have thoughts of my own. But in the end, none of that really matters. I'm already on my death bed and as a tool of justice for the man you killed I will die knowing that I've done what I was supposed to do."_

_Melios raised his pistol and pointed it at Vincent's head. The space around them whirled suddenly and went black to sound of a gun shot._


	28. A Reason to Fight

**Chapter 28 – A Reason to Fight**

Vincent woke in time to see the flash of a triple barreled muzzle inches from his face. At the same moment the shot went off, something whirled through the air and struck the gun, sending the bullets into the heavy wooden door mere centimeters from Vincent's head. Instinct took over and he dove sideways to roll to his feet, his pistol drawn and returning fire in less than a second.

Melios wasn't in demon form yet so his dark cloak hid him well in the moonlit room despite Vincent's acute vision. He dashed out of the line of Vincent's fire and ran for the high ground of the balcony overlooking the entry way only the find his path blocked by the point of Cid's spear. He snarled as he came to a halt and his dark cloak shimmered to take the form of wings. With a flap, he leapt from the stairs below Cid to the center of the balcony and ran for the door Cid wasn't blocking.

A massive sword whipped out to sink heavily into the wood floor, missing the clone by inches. Melios hopped backwards, glancing back and forth between the two men he didn't recognize. Vincent fired up at the clone and the bullets tore a hole in the leathery membrane of one wing. His shot did little to hurt Melios but it did manage to draw his attention. Placing a foot on the wooden rail, the clone vaulted down and dove at Vincent.

Vincent could have dodged but he knew that if there was a chance he could subdue their enemy, he had to take it. He braced himself and grappled with the clone as they collided and went skidding into wall behind him. The impact knocked the breath from his body and Melios raised his clawed hand to strike.

Before he could land the blow, Shelke's saber flashed against the clone's ribs below his left arm, tearing a slice through the red leather. He grunted and threw himself away only to feel the bite of Yuffie's star as it flew past his right thigh to tear a long gash across his flesh. The smell of his own blood seemed to enrage the clone and he tore across the floor towards Shelke. She gritted her teeth and held her ground as her attacker rammed his shoulder against the curve of the energy shield that her materia projected around her.

Cid vaulted down the stairs and swung the blunt end of his spear at Melios' chest. The sound of cracking bones followed him as he was tossed backwards into Yuffie. She hadn't been expecting a face full of enemy and they both went tumbling, Melios' pistol clattering across the floor. Yuffie squirmed her way out from under the clone's body just as his clawed arm came down where her head had been. She spotted the dropped gun nearby and scrambled for it but Melios lashed out to grab her ankle. He threw her viciously across the room and into a corner under the staircase where she slumped over.

Melios pushed himself up and reached for his weapon only to find Cloud's boot holding it firmly in place. Blood red eyes flashed and the clone lashed at Cloud recklessly with his claws, expecting a return swing, but it didn't come. Cloud jumped back to avoid getting sliced, conceding the weapon to its owner with apparent frustration. He matched his enemy's movements, massive sword held ready, as Melios stood and backed up slowly. The others still standing in the room closed in on their enemy, driving him towards the locked front doors at his back. Melios was confused and uneasy. Why weren't they moving to strike?

Vincent tried to get up but his breath hadn't returned yet and it felt like he'd broken a few ribs. He lifted his gun and aimed a shot at the clone's shoulder. Melios was fast enough to sidestep and take a graze. He halted when understanding flooded his red eyes and he smiled, speaking aloud to everyone around him.

"I see. You know you can't kill me and risk drawing Chaos out so you're trying to wound me or capture me. Did you think I would give up after so many hits? Did you think I would be afraid of dying and just surrender?"

Everyone had frozen in place.

"You have no choice but to kill me. I'm already on death's doorstep, and I won't stop until I take every last one of you with me." He raised his gun and before anyone could move to stop him, he shot Vincent square in the chest as he was in the middle of pulling himself to his feet.

Vincent grunted with the force of the bullets as they ripped into him. His chest burned as though his lungs were suddenly filled with liquid fire. He crumpled to the floor and went still as Shelke ran to his side.

"Vincent!" She placed her small hand over the three bullet holes but his blood poured through her fingers faster than she could stop the flow. She placed both hands over the holes but they were too small do any good against wounds like that. Behind her, Melios' body shimmered and he took the full form of Chaos, turning to face the others in the room while she crouched over Vincent's unmoving body. He was going cold rapidly and losing blood faster than his accelerated regeneration could replenish it. She looked up to see Cid dodge the swing of vicious claws and land heavily at the bottom of the stairs.

But Cid hadn't moved fast enough. Melios was in front of him as his feet touched the ground and he threw Cid sideways. There was a loud curse and the splintering of wood as he went flying and Shelke knew that Cid was now effectively out of the fight. Melios turned on Cloud and raised his gun but Cloud brought his sword up and knocked the weapon free. Unarmed, Melios used his claws like ten cruel blades to slash at Cloud with the frenzy of his demonic side, easily matching the other man's strength and speed. Cloud fought the demon off as best he could but he was losing ground with every move and he was currently the only one still standing.

Suddenly Tifa was with Shelke placing her hands over the girl's and pressing down firmly with what appeared to be a wad of old cloth. She looked to the girl and nodded. "I'll take care of him, go help the others."

Shelke stood and picked up her sabers and left to join the fight without a word. Tifa held the cloth over the bullet wounds until the bleeding slowed and stopped but she couldn't tell if Vincent was still breathing or not. Either his regeneration had taken over or his heart had stopped beating. The sounds of battle behind her made it impossible for her to listen.

She almost hadn't made it in time and cursed herself for nearly walking out on the whole thing. She was so sure her friends could manage without her that she had convinced herself to leave Vincent to whatever his preferred fate would have been. Of course it would be death; she had seen it in his eyes when he hurt her with his words. But Tifa had made him a promise and even if she'd failed to give him a reason to live, she would keep it. She was a fighter dammit, and until a few days ago she had lost sight of that. Vincent had been there to make her see it again.

Behind her, Yuffie had gotten herself trapped in the corner underneath the balcony. Cloud was kneeling over Shelke who had been thrown against a wall and was now knocked out cold. Cid was nowhere to be seen. Melios raised his claws and Yuffie yelped, cringing against the coming blow. When it didn't land she opened her eyes to see Cloud's sword poking through the demon's torso.

With a jerk, Cloud ripped the blade from Melios' body and he dropped to his hands and knees. Cloud grabbed Yuffie's arm and pulled her back, raising his sword. He knew he'd just given their enemy what he wanted but he couldn't have let Yuffie die. They may already have lost one friend and that alone was too much. He took a second to glance over his shoulder and was relieved to see that Tifa had finally made it to the scene. From the desolate look she'd worn earlier, he almost thought she wouldn't show up, but he had too much faith in her to doubt.

Tifa was still kneeling over Vincent but by now it was clear that he wasn't breathing. Tears streamed unnoticed down her cheeks as she knelt and whispered to him. "I know why you said those things, Vincent. I know you didn't mean them. Please come back to us. I said I wouldn't leave your side, and I intend to keep my promise. Let me give you a reason to live, just as you gave me a reason to fight. Please…" He made no apparent response.

She knew he was gone. She shut her eyes against the pain and felt a knot grow in her stomach. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him back to life, yell in front of everyone that she loved him. Now she would never have that chance. Despair threatened to drown her but somewhere deep inside, she felt a spark. Numbly, her hands found the gloves stuffed in one of her back pockets and she pulled them on. Her hands clenched and the soft leather groaned.

_I can't tell you what I want to, Vincent, but I can make damn sure you didn't die in vain._ Her jaw clenched as that spark flared to life and filled her brown eyes with strength she hadn't known for years. It made her blood burn and she left Vincent's side with the slow and steady tread of death itself.

_Time to kick some ass._

The room was bathed in purple light as Melios' demonic form began to glow. He slowly got to his feet, drawing energy from Chaos as the demon was ripped from the planet by the protomateria. His wounds were gone in a matter of seconds. The growl in his throat became a roar as the demonic energy flashed blindingly and the sphere in his chest burned with bright blue light. He turned to face his three remaining opponents and he smiled, showing long fangs.

"Thank you. Now I can finish my task."

Tifa was suddenly in front of Melios, her cold gaze meeting the demon's glowing yellow eyes. He looked down at her almost curiously, the real Chaos inside of him squirming defiantly. He hadn't even seen her move but she was no match for the power coursing through his body now. She stared unblinking into the eyes of her enemy with not a single shred of fear. Inside him, Chaos recognized what was coming and laughed, confusing its new host. Melios ignored it, confident that whatever this girl thought she could do, it would be nothing more than a few feeble tricks.

With the strength of all her pain, Tifa lashed out at the demon's chest at lightning speed with a hand covered in purplish grey leather. Her fingers closed around the glowing sphere and she ripped it from its place. Melios' sudden overconfidence had left him vulnerable and Chaos rebelliously refused to do anything to stop her. _I will never serve you!_

"You're welcome," she spat coldly in his stunned face.

The demon shuddered, roaring in pain as his power left him. Chaos, held captive inside the clone's body, recognized the loss of command and took control. Melios staggered backwards clutching his head and fighting to retain his sanity. Chaos smiled. _Now, pay for your foolishness._

Cloud bolted forward and rammed his sword through the demon's body and he sank to his knees under the fatal blow. His glowing eyes dimmed and Cloud ripped the sword free to let the corpse topple lifelessly to the floor. The purple light that surrounded them faded and everyone held their breath as the room went dark, save for the moonlight streaming through the high windows of the entry hall.

When Cloud finally moved, he turned to Tifa and saw that she was staring at the protomateria in her bloodied hand. Whatever had taken hold of her was gone now and she looked utterly drained of all life. Cid appeared from a nearby hole in the wall supporting himself with his spear and rubbing his head. He was caked with dust and wood splinters. Groggily he surveyed the scene and grimaced.

"Shit, I missed all the good stuff."

Yuffie was helping Shelke unsteadily to her feet and the two of them came over to where Tifa and Cloud were standing. They watched her warily, almost afraid that she would break if they tried to talk to her. Cloud placed a hand on Tifa's shoulder to bring her out of her thoughts. It took a long time for her to tear her eyes away from that pulsing sphere and even then she could only manage to close them.

"We have to destroy it, Tifa." His words were as gentle as he could make them but she still raised her eyes defiantly. She understood what he meant but she couldn't just let Vincent die without ever telling him what she wanted so badly to say. Cloud recognized the look. He knew that her mind was set and there would be no going back. He tried once more to convince her, for Vincent's sake and for everyone's sake.

"If you do this, he may never forgive you."

"If I don't, I may never forgive myself."

Cloud sighed, knowing it was useless at this point. He nodded. "I hope you can live with the consequences."

Tifa looked down at the protomateria glowing softly in her hand, then over at Vincent's still form.

"I hope I can, too."


	29. Epilogue

A/N: This epilogue was meant for those -- like myself -- who prefer closure. The previous chapter was meant to be the original ending but I felt that more needed to be written. If you'd prefer to leave it at where Chapter 28 closed, then you can skip this.

--

**Epilogue Part 1 – Price of a Smile**

_It was another suspiciously realistic dream. Vincent tensed, expecting to see a red eyed Tifa or a carbon copy of himself appear to mock him as had been happening frequently. A familiar soft white light was everywhere around him again but this time, there was nothing nagging at him from the back of his mind. In fact, there was nothing in his mind at all except peaceful acceptance._

_He knew he was dead … but he was also dreaming and he didn't understand how he could dream if he was dead. He had heard someone talking to him just before slipping away into oblivion but he couldn't remember who it was or what they had said. He felt a presence behind him and turned to find Chaos standing there. Only, he knew it was the real thing and not his clone wearing a shell. The demon cocked its head at him questioningly, but didn't speak._

"_What do you want?"_

_The demon didn't reply, it only waited for him to tell it whatever it wanted to know._

"_I don't understand. I'm dead. Have you come to take me to hell?"_

_If hell existed at all, he was sure that was where he would end up. Chaos' eyes shifted to focus on a point over his shoulder and Vincent heard a gentle female voice in his ear._

"_He wants to know if you'll still be his host. I think he likes you."_

_He knew that voice but he couldn't place it. It reminded him of flowers. When he turned to look, there was no one there. He focused on Chaos again._

"_So you're giving me a choice?"_

_The demon nodded. Vincent considered it for a while. If he accepted Chaos' offer to be the demon's host, he would of course bring Vincent back to life to protect his investment. Vincent remembered enough about why he had been so eager to die that he was tentative about taking the demon up on it. He had betrayed Tifa's trust. Returning to eternal life would mean that he would have to face her after everything he'd said. Oblivion looked pretty damn good when he thought about it that way. Still, even if she never spoke to him again, he'd at least have the memory of his one night of heaven. What was an eternity of hell compared to that?_

_He raised his scarlet eyes to Chaos who patiently anticipated his answer._

"_I waited a long time to die … but I guess I can wait a little longer."_

_Chaos smiled._

**Epilogue Part 2 – Understanding**

Vincent woke to the sensation of an old familiar weight pressing against the inside of his ribs. He could feel the life pulsing inside the sphere that rested there. It had only been a little over a year since the protomateria was last active but the sensation was already new to him. He was only just beginning to get used to the feeling of unspent energy that coursed through him when he touched it with his mind. It was no longer a dead weight, it was a living source of infinite potential, and with it came a heavy price.

Only a week ago he had been given new life at the cost of becoming the host of Chaos once again. The demon, drawn prematurely from its slumber within the planet, rested quietly inside of him now, curled around his soul. The empty feeling was gone and in some strange way he was glad. At least he wouldn't have to face eternity alone.

When he'd roused from death to find himself on board the Shera seven days ago, he was greeted by his friends. All except Tifa, who'd left to return to Edge by land and sea. She left no word for him with any of the others and he assumed that meant that she didn't want to have anything to do with him. He spent the journey back to Edge mostly in solitude to recover his strength. For some reason, no one wanted to offer any more detail about what happened after he died other than that they had defeated their enemy and managed to bring Vincent back to life.

Even Shelke was tightlipped about how the protomateria had ended up back inside his body. He didn't press the matter. He was alive and there was nothing he could do about it now. The choice had been his in the end, and he accepted his fate.

Dawn came slowly, filling his hotel room with golden light. He'd been in Edge for five days now and he knew the others were wondering about how he was holding up. He'd taken his possessions and left 7th Heaven the moment he returned, unable to face Tifa when she would eventually make it back. He picked his phone up off the side table near his bed and saw that Shelke had left another message for him late last night. She mentioned that Tifa was back from her trip and that she thought Vincent should drop by to tell everyone how he was doing.

Vincent pressed the erase button and flipped the phone shut, setting it back down. He closed his eyes and tried to shut all thoughts of Tifa out of his mind. The demon inside of him stirred whenever he thought of her and it made him uneasy. He wondered if she'd had something to do with how he was brought back from the brink of death. No one was talking about it so there was no way he could find out for sure.

The hotel phone rang loudly in his ear to shatter his thoughts and he frowned at it. Why would the front desk be calling him? No one knew where he was, it couldn't be anything important. He picked it up on the fourth ring.

"What!"

"Uh, V-Vincent Valentine?" The desk receptionist stammered nervously at his sharp tone.

"Yes?"

"You have a visitor, s-sir."

"Who is it?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir. They told me not to say." The man sounded like he was going to have a heart attack so Vincent softened his tone.

"Alright, send them up."

He hung up the phone and got to his feet grudgingly. He had no idea how any of his friends could have tracked him down or who it could be. He decided it was most likely Shelke since she was the only one who had been actively trying to maintain contact. If she had bothered to track him down, then whatever she had to say must be important, but why would she hide her identity?

He shook his head. It didn't matter. If it wasn't Shelke he would send whoever it was away. A knock on the door sounded a few minutes later and he crossed the room to open it. The moment he disengaged the lock and turned the handle, the door swung in forcefully and sent him back a few steps to avoid getting a piece of wood in the face. His visitor closed it firmly in her wake.

It was Tifa.

She flipped the lock back into place and spun around to face him with her hands firmly on her hips. Vincent swore he could hear one of her infamous speeches brewing like a thunderstorm.

"We need to talk, and don't even _think_ about jumping out the window."

He just stood there and stared blankly, unable to respond. Standing in front of him, locked in his hotel room with him, was the last person in the world he expected to see and the person he wanted most to talk to. But now that she was here, he didn't know what to say. He felt suddenly naked and not because he was currently dressed only in his pants. What he finally came up with was painfully lame.

"How did you find me?"

She grinned, showing no hint at all that she hated him in any way. "I think I've come to know you well enough to figure out what part of town you'd run to if you wanted to hide from a girl."

His brows came down. "I'm not hiding."

"Then why didn't you stay at the bar?"

"It's Cloud's room."

"Cloud doesn't live there anymore, remember?"

"You have enough people to take care of already without having to look after a walking corpse."

Tifa seemed suddenly embarrassed by what he'd said. She crossed her arms and dropped her eyes. "Um, about that. I guess no one told you what really happened."

He shook his head minutely.

"After you got shot, something came over me. I don't know what it was and everything is mostly a blur but … I managed to take the protomateria from Melios after he turned into Chaos. Cloud finished him off after that, but you were dead. Everyone wanted to destroy the protomateria but I just couldn't if there was a chance to bring you back, so I … we put it back inside you." She bit her lower lip guiltily.

He watched her fidget under his gaze, processing what she'd said. All he could reply with was, "Why?"

"I didn't want you to die. I had something I wanted to tell you, so I just couldn't let you go yet." She was obviously nervous by the way she hugged herself with her crossed arms. Clearly, she expected him to be angry with her.

"You saved my life, Tifa … again. Why are you expecting me to be mad?"

She looked up, not surprised in the least that he'd read her so easily. "I thought that if you had to be Chaos' host again because of what I did, you would hate me."

"That choice was mine to make regardless of what you did. I chose to live, knowing exactly what it would cost me." He took a step closer to her. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

She dropped her eyes again nervously. "I know that what you said to me back in the Shinra mansion was a lie. At first I thought you were serious, but after thinking about it I realized that you were just trying to protect me." She smirked. "Every guy I've ever known seems to think I can't protect myself. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that I understand why you said it and that I forgive you. And also…" she trailed off.

His head was spinning. She had saved his life yet again and now she was letting everything go that he'd said to drive her away. She had filled his emptiness with her heart, not with Chaos, and that was why he no longer felt cold inside. She forgave him for not having the courage to tell her how he really felt, for running from what he was afraid to feel again after spending decades hating himself and what he was. He placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to him.

"Tifa, I should have told you years ago. I do have a reason to go on living, I think I always have, but I was afraid to accept it until I had settled my past. That reason is you." He wiped at one of the tears that stained her smooth cheeks with his thumb. "I'm sorry that I waited so long to say it." Those beautiful dark eyes lit up and he gave her his small quiet smile. "Besides, you still owe me lessons."

By her bemused expression and the grin that followed it, he figured that neither of them would be leaving his room for the rest of the day.

**Epilogue Part 3 – Blind Date**

"I dunno why the hell I agreed to this shit." Cid ground the spent remainder of his cigarette under the toe of his boot while he waited. If his wife ever found out he was on a blind date with someone, she'd probably kill him or leave him on the spot. But Tifa had told him that it would mean a lot to her if he just put up with it and that it was only one date. She had also promised him that it would fun, and Cid couldn't say no to that.

If he had stopped long enough to really think about it, he would have had fair warning long before his date ever came around the corner. When they spotted each other, he cursed silently. Yuffie grinned and ran over to him. She was wearing her usual colorful outfit, complete with ribbons. She hooked an arm around one of Cid's and giggled up at him.

"Hi, Cid! I had no idea you would be my date tonight. I'm glad it's you and not someone like Nanaki. Don't get me wrong, I like the big furball but I can't very well go out on a _date_ with an animal, now can I? Where are we going? Can I call you daddy?"

He snarled at her as she ran her mouth off. Sure, he was old enough to be her father, but she didn't have to rub it in. "Shut up, I'm only doin' this cause Tif asked. If I knew I'd have to spend the whole damn night hangin' out with some kid, I would'a turned her down." Contrary to his words, he was grinning.

Yuffie pulled him along, cheerfully ignoring his complaints, and they headed into town. He was all bark and no bite, anyways. Cid had a bad feeling he was going to regret doing this but if there was one thing about the girl, she knew how to make life interesting, and that was something he didn't mind one bit. One night with a friend, even it was Yuffie, couldn't be all that bad.

_Tif, if you're laughin' at me right now, I'll kick your ass when I get back._


End file.
